THE Chief of Staff Award for Academic Excellence was yesterday conferred on children of members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). Doing the honours was none other than the Chief of Staff himself, Brigadier Mark Phillips.

The recipients, David Ramroop, Keiann Simon, and Jemimah Telford were awarded certificates of achievement and monetary incentives for their sterling performance at the June 2014 sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examinations (CSEC).
Ramroop, the son of civilian worker Sharon Sookhoo, is a former Queens College student. This budding Computer Programmer wrote 10 subjects at CSEC and earned 9 Grade Ones and one Grade Two.
Keiann Simon, daughter of Lieutenant Colonel and Magistrate Ann McLennan, and also of Queens College sat 12 subjects and earned 6 Grade Ones, three of which were distinctions; 5 Grade Twos, and one Grade Three. This 16-year-old and budding Forensic Scientist has moved on to pursue studies at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level while preparing for SAT’s.
The third recipient, Jemimah Telford, formerly of the Mackenzie High School and a prospective Lawyer and Psychologist, wrote 11 subjects and earned 5 Grade Ones, 5 Grade Twos, and one Grade 3. She is the daughter of civilan worker, Odetta Telford.
At the presentation ceremony, held at his Office, Brigadier Phillips stressed how proud the Force was of the students performance and how happy he was to hand over the award, which was started by his predecessor, Rear Admiral(Ret’d) Gary Best.
“This award presents an opportunity for us to show appreciation for the hard work of the children of our Officers, Ranks and Civilian employees, and also to recognise the sacrifices which your parents would have made,” he told the students.
He also pointed out that while the award was a one-off incentive, payment, it does not represent a one-off interest in the future performance of the children. “We want to see you further develop yourself,” he said, adding:
“The new limit is Space; so I encourage you to aim as far as you can.”

The Chief of Staff Award for Academic Excellence is the Force’s way of rewarding the children of its members who have performed outstandingly at the CSEC examinations. The minimum eligibility for this award is Five Grade Ones at one sitting.