WHEN the results of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) were released last week, 16-year-old Runique Belle was eagerly awaiting information on her performance and when the news of her results reached her home, her performance was beyond her parents’ expectations.

Belle, a former student of Three Miles Secondary, is the top performer of Region Seven at the 2018 examination. According to her, “I kind of expected the results.”

She obtained passes in English ‘A’, English ‘B’, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Human and Social Biology, Principles of Business, Electronic Document and Management Separation, Agriculture Science, Integrated Science and Food and Nutrition.

In all, she scored Grade One passes in nine of the 15 subjects, which according to reports, is a record for the region.

According to the young woman, most of her preparations centred on burning the midnight oil. She said that her school offered only nine subjects at the examinations and according to her, she decided to pursue the additional subjects with the help of her mother, Chrystal Belle, who is a teacher at the Three Miles Secondary.

“I attended lessons a lot and my mother assisted with the core subjects,” she said.
Belle said she attended extra lessons almost daily as she prepared for the examinations.
Her mother told the Guyana Chronicle that she is “extremely proud, I had confidence in her to do well.”

The woman was, however, surprised that her daughter was adjudged the region’s top student. Both of Belle’s parents were overjoyed over the weekend as the family celebrated her achievement.

The young lady plans to pursue studies in the field of medicine at the University of Guyana and according to her, she hopes to become a obstetrician-gynaecologist, a doctor who specialises in women’s health. She said she likes the particular field of the sciences. “It’s a passion of mine,” she said.

The young scholar is not only about academics. Her father, Rundy Belle, is a popular boat racer who in the past captured many titles at the annual Bartica Regatta. As such, Belle said she has a liking for the adrenaline rush which comes with the sport. She drives the boats, something she enjoys in her spare time.

She is also an ardent sport fan and plays cricket and football in her spare time and plans to become more involved in basketball.

Her word of advice to others sitting the CSEC examinations in future is to always focus on the task at hand, study hard and burn the midnight oil.

“They should also start studying for a while before the exams and don’t wait [until the] last minute, because there is so much more they can learn in that longer period than just cramming everything in one night.”

Belle was high in praise of the efforts of everyone involved in her achievement including her parents, siblings and teachers Ron Ghanie, Nadira Ferreira and others at the Three Miles Secondary.