An Aberdeen schoolboy is celebrating after learning he received the highest marks in Scotland in two different Higher subjects during this year’s exams.
Aiden Leigh, 17, is an S6 pupil at Robert Gordon’s College. He achieved five A1s in his Highers at the end of S5.
An impressive enough achievement, surely. But Aiden was shocked to receive not one but two letters from the SQA recently.
The first informed him, unbelievably, that he had received the best marks in the whole country in Human Biology.
Just as he was recovering from this shock, Aiden received another letter a few days later, this time learning that he had achieved Scotland’s highest mark in Chemistry.
Aiden ‘doubted’ himself, but now he’s due to receive awards from two Royal Societies
The science prodigy is currently in Edinburgh, at the Science and the Parliament event at Dynamic Earth.
He’s there to receive two prestigious awards for his outstanding efforts, one from the Royal Society of Biology and another from the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Science and the Parliament is a governmental conference on STEM education attended by MSPs and representatives from science departments at universities across the country.
“I’m very happy obviously,” Aiden told The P&J.
“When I realised I’d come top in the country in both subjects I was ecstatic, it was just joy really.
“It was such a busy period leading up to the exams and I did work really hard.”
Some might find it bizarre that the top student in the country wasn’t sure of himself during exam time. But Aiden had no inclination of the achievement that was around the corner, and took nothing for granted.
“I definitely doubted myself at times and I think that was one of the reasons I worked so hard,” he said.
“But I also just naturally enjoy all three sciences, which was another reason why I think I did well.
“Getting a medal from the two Royal Societies is not something I expected when I was studying for my exams so I’m just delighted.”
Aiden operating on a different level from ‘normal people like us’ says dad
Mum Charmaine said she was “overjoyed, ecstatic, and super proud.”
And dad Eddie was effusive in his praise of his son’s hard work.
“It’s absolutely amazing,” he said. “He’s worked so hard.
“We’re just so proud of him, not only his ability but also the sheer effort he put into things.
“Things like this don’t just fall into your lap, it’s not easy.
“But the amount of work he put into it went way beyond what you’d expect.
“And it was all of his own volition, he wasn’t pushed by us.”
Aiden plans to study chemical physics after leaving school, which is not for the faint-hearted.
But Aiden has already proved he’s operating on a different level from – as his dad jokes – “normal people like us.”
Conversation