I have been a student to some degree for most of my life, and from all my experiences I think that determination far out ways talent. Talent is great, but true talent is normally undiscovered until you are much older anyway, like in your 20s or 30s. Normal talent is what you seen in middle school and high school, and that talent isn’t worth too much except for the ability to slide through without much work. Eventually, though, the work becomes too great and the talented haven’t developed the skills to coup, and they fail. That’s where determination comes into play. People who can survive because of sheer will to survive and do most anything that they want to do. They can stay up all night, they can bounce back from failure, and they can stand and fight when everybody else has packed up and left.. and you’ll soon find that the majority of people don’t get sent home, they go home on their free will. If you have the determination to fight for what you want, that is worth more than all the natural talent in the world.

I have 5 kids, 4 are gifted as you called it & my other child takes alot more time where as the other 4 seem to look at something & get it from the get go ..My daughter needs more time & more explanation, but I am here to tell you that her pure determination has excelled her past our expectations. So yes it is possible. You have to be reminded of that every so often but it is possible. Don’t let difficult times bring you down , instead Hold your head high & remind your self YOU CAN DO IT & you will do it

Determination will certainly improve the less-gifted person. Lack of it will lessen the efectiveness of a gifted one. It is best, of course, to have both.

The presentation of your question is excellent, and I can’t imagine you being short of either quality. Keep it up!