By Modesty Hossanah

MUCH TO THE surprise of many Guyanese, there is a multitude of students who commute to the capital city on a daily basis for schooling from far flung areas, such as Linden.

This is the case of 16-year-old Shirley Temple [not her real name], who attained a spot at Queen’s College (QC) after sitting the National Grade Six Assessment. She was overzealous about attending one of the region’s most prestigious institutions. However, Shirley resided in Linden, thus making it difficult for her to attend her dream school. Her mother could not allow her to waste such a great opportunity so it was decided that the young lady would travel from Linden every day to attend school.

While Shirley’s dream was becoming a reality, it was nightmarish. With her decision came challenges. Shirley’s life was changed drastically to accommodate her education. There was tremendous difficulty with settling into a new school especially since it was an entirely different environment; she felt like an outsider.

Every morning she woke up at 5:00hrs, while her siblings slept peacefully. She quietly and hastily prepared for the school day. Waking up late was not an option. She would miss her contract bus and be forced to find alternative transportation. This usually resulted in her arriving at school late, often missing the first period.

After spending 12 hours away from home, four of which were spent on a bus, Shirley would return home around 18:00hrs. When she got home, she often felt exhausted – physically and emotionally. Despite this, she did her homework and assignments and prepared for the next day. Within all the hassle, she miraculously still found time to chat with her family and friends and browse social media.

For Shirley, the weekends were not long enough. Due to her constant state of sheer exhaustion, she often fell asleep in her classes. Because of her distant residence, she often did not get to participate in co-curricular activities. More so, she missed outings with her friends and classmates. To some extent, this hindered her friendships and even made her feel exiled. This feeling eventually went away and she managed to adjust to her new lifestyle.

This situation was not only challenging for Shirley but also for her parents, both of whom sacrificed immensely to put her through school. Very often, due to the expense of travelling daily, she had to borrow textbooks to have them photocopied. There were many persons who loaned her textbooks and printed her assignments for her without gratuity.

In her final year, things became increasingly difficult. There was the added stress of School Based Assessments (SBAs) and practical and all things CSEC. Even worse, Shirley had limited time to study. It was with assistance from friends, family and teachers that Shirley did not collapse under all the pressure.

Today, Shirley is now set to graduate from Queens College and ready to pursue tertiary education. She strongly believes that nothing is impossible with God. She is adamant that humans have to sacrifice to accomplish their goals. Her advice to persons in similar situations is to “never give up”, as cliché as it sounds. Shirley insists that any goal can be achieved with faith, consistency and hard work.

The 16-year-old does not regret the decision she made five years ago to attend Queen’s College as the experience was truly worth it. Her decision has resulted in her attaining a level of maturity that is uncommon for persons her age. She is now more disciplined as a result of the challenges that came with travelling those 65 miles five days per week.

[Modesty Hossanah is a student of Queen’s College on work attachment at the Guyana Chronicle]