— CSEC top performers reflect on journey to success

SOME of this year’s top performers at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations had much to say about their performance when the Guyana Chronicle spoke to them.

Samuel Haynes of Queen’s College, who secured 18 Grade One passes, was “extremely excited” of his accomplishment which came as a huge surprise to him.

However, he did attribute his success to his unwavering faith in God, and the fact that he put in a lot of work — going to lessons five days a week, and even every day of the week as it got closer to the May/June exams.

“I wrote this number of subjects to get the Presidential Scholarship, because I have two other (older) brothers and I want them to have equal opportunities just like me, so if my parents have to provide for them, I knew that I had to take this opportunity to try and get it so that I don’t put them under pressure or so,” Haynes said.

Additionally, he knew that he had the potential to do great things but only through his faith in God. “That helped me to overcome any obstacles faced,” he said, adding: “So I feel really excited and grateful.”

Moving forward, he will be pursuing an Associate Degree in Natural Science, at Sixth Form, at Queen’s College. Haynes intends to enter the medical field.

Donlee Castello, Samuel’s friend and colleague, followed closely behind him with 17 Grade One passes and three Grade Two passes.

Speaking to this newspaper, he reflected upon his long journey towards success. He recounted that when he wrote the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) in 2014, he did not get the school he wanted to attend. However, he did not let that deter him as he worked diligently over the next year so that he could sit the Ministry of Education’s placement examination. Subsequently, he was afforded a spot at Queen’s College and worked to prove his merit.

MOTIVATION

Preparing for CSEC, four years later, Donlee noted that there were three main reasons which drove him to write that many subjects. The first was that he wanted to win the Presidential award, which is a scholarship given to the top student; the second reason was that he wanted to show that nothing was impossible and thirdly, he just wanted the challenge. Donlee will be going back to Queen’s College for Sixth Form, where he hopes to study law.

If you’re a fan of Steel Pan in Guyana, you might have heard the name Vijay Sharma. The young musical prodigy was another that showed his merit at the CSEC exams this year.

“I’m just satisfied with my performance,” Sharma said of his 16 Grade One and two Grade Two passes. “You got to have your head down, you don’t really have to make sacrifices or anything but just keep focused.”

In the short-term, the young man will be heading to Trinidad and Tobago for CARIFESTA XIV to play alongside the Parkside Steel Orchestra. Beyond that, he intends on pursuing CAPE studies in science and perhaps study medicine in Ireland afterwards.

“Firstly, I feel over-gratified and ecstatic to have made such an achievement and I must say I’m very thankful to God and all who helped me, including my family and teachers,” a soft-spoken Daniel Roopchand, said.

The young man, who obtained 16 Grade One passes and 1 Grade Two pass noted that his preparation for the exams began months in advance, and just about two weeks before the start of the May/June Exam season, he studied late into the nights so that he was sure he understood all of the topics before entering the exam rooms.

“I had originally wanted to write 20 subjects for CSEC but my parents persuaded me to drop a few, as they thought it was too extreme,” he said. Nevertheless, Roopchand affirmed that he had a “deep passion” for the subjects he wrote and that he genuinely enjoyed studying them.

Currently, he is indecisive about his academic aspirations but decided that he will either attend Sixth Form at his school, Queen’s College, or he will attend medical school at the University of Guyana.

REWARDING

Much like Roochand, Jorrel Dos Santos noted that the preparations for the exams were definitely arduous. But because they were so arduous, he believes that his success feels all the more rewarding.

Relating why he decided to sit 16 subjects, of which he attained all Grade One passes, he explained that in Form Three, 15 subjects were offered so that students could have ‘a feel’ of subject areas. He decided to stick within that range. He, however, added Economics to his pile of subjects since it was a business subject he actually liked.

He too wants to study medicine in time.

Aside from the pool of top students who hope to one day enter the medical field, Briana Gopie actually wants to make her mark in the business field by becoming an actuary.

“I wrote 16 subjects because I was comfortable with that number and I thought it was enough for me to attain the subjects I will need later in life and still be able to make it to a top position in the country without me having to over exhaust myself,” she said.

Naturally, she was elated at her performance but mostly, she was just relieved. Brianna secured 16 Grade One passes, but academics aside, she has been a well-rounded student.

She loves to dance and has been recognised in 2018 and 2019 by the Guyana Annual Magazine for her poetry. The young girl is also currently a youth ambassador representing Guyana on a three-week exchange programme in the US, where she will be exposed to training in leadership and civic engagement.

When she returns from that exchange programme, she will be attending Sixth Form at Queen’s College and will then look to further her education in the business field.

Cameron Fraser, another Queen’s College student, secured 15 Grade One passes and a Grade Two pass.

When she spoke to this newspaper, she related that she could not even process what was happening. “I am overjoyed; words can’t possibly encapsulate how I feel. This is such a blessing and I am extremely thankful,” she said.

She was filled with gratitude for all the persons who contributed to her success, especially her mother, who was her ‘rock’ through all the preparations as well as her father, sister, family and teachers.

So strong was her support system that she believed she could attempt this many subjects and do well in all of them. Fraser mentioned that she wanted to push her boundaries and learn as much as she possibly could.

“I spent some of my time trying to take in any information I could get but I also made sure my mental health was in check… studying was a huge part of it all but it could only take me so far, keeping myself collected and focused played a huge part in my success,” she said, in retrospect.

She also aims to study medicine, with a special focus on becoming a neonatologist and to serve Guyana with all her heart.