Elias, an incredible 14-year-old kid from Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, who is truly up for his next adventure. He will start his new academic journey at Imperial College London at the end of September. He earned outstanding results in his A-level exams, with four A*s and an A to his name. This stellar showing has created room for his nomination into the storied academy.
Elias’s A-level results – all A*s, in chemistry, maths, physics and further maths, and an A in biology. Another talent of his is the academic prowess he displays with a grade 9 in GCSE English. This accomplishment showcases his strong background in the critical skills of STEM and literacy. As he gets ready to explore his interests in biomedical engineering at Imperial, Elias shared his complicated emotions about making such a big move.
“I’m pretty excited and I’m also slightly nervous as well but I’m looking forward to it, extremely,” – Elias.
Elias’s younger brother, Ariel, 11, is already walking in his big brother’s footsteps. Studious from an early age, Ariel scored 9s in GCSE maths and chemistry. She went on to replicate that success at A-levels, achieving 9s in further maths and physics, and an 8 in biology. She has joined A levels in maths, biology, chemistry and physics this year. This latest adventure underscores her impressive scholarly potential at a very young age.
In telling the story of her successes, Ariel conveyed the enthusiasm of having gotten a head-start in life ahead of her brother.
“I feel so happy that I got 9s last year for maths and chemistry, even though I started one year earlier than my brother,” – Ariel.
Most notably, she conveyed need to find the kind of success her brother found. While she can’t share his success on the pitch, his achievements motivate her as she journeys through academia herself.
“If he can do that [get into university], I feel like I can also achieve the same,” – Ariel.
Clara and Juliana, the elder sisters, are not subtle in their strong defense of their siblings. Both are now PhD students at Imperial College London. The O’Learys strongly support a home-schooling philosophy, allowing their students to pursue academics, arts, or athletics to the fullest.
“We want to give hope to other talented students that they can be home-schooled and expand their dreams,” – Clara.
Elias looks forward to being able to attend the same university as his sisters. He hopes that their collective experience will deepen their academic pursuit.
“My sisters can also help because they go to Imperial as well so it’ll be quite fun since I’m going with my other siblings,” – Elias.
Elias, as he prepares for what is sure to be an exciting new chapter at Imperial College London. Together, he and Ariel represent the tremendous ability and commitment of young people today. Each of their stories show what is possible through home-schooling, and the power of a supportive family background in fostering academic success.
