THE 2019 recipients of the Chief-of-Staff Awards for Academic Excellence were given to four students on Thursday by Brigadier, Patrick West.
The students received their Certificates of Excellence and monetary rewards from Brigadier Patrick West at a simple ceremony at Defence Headquarters, Camp Ayangana. They were also presented with ‘the General’s Coin’.
The students rewarded were Kadian Massiah, Wonetta Semple, Sonia Lynch and Delesta Alexander.
Massiah, a former student of Christ Church Secondary and son of Sergeant Kessa Massiah of the Force’s Education Department, gained passes in 10 subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, including seven grades ones.
The young man has not yet decided on his career path but wants to remain in the field of economics. He has moved on to the Bishops’ High School where he is pursuing a number of business subjects at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level.
Wonetta Semple of Queen’s College gained passes in 15 CSEC subjects with six grade ones. Her love for farming has caused her to contemplate a career in biological genetic engineering in agriculture.
Some benefits of genetic engineering in agriculture are increased crop yields, reduced costs for food or drug production, enhanced nutrient composition and food quality, resistance to pests and disease, greater food security, and medical benefits to the consuming population. She is the daughter of Warrant Officer Class Two, Wilfred Semple.
Sonia Lynch, daughter of Malika Lynch and the late Major Lancelot Lynch is passionate about land development.
She believes that Guyana has a lot of potential in this area and with the expected influx of persons there will also be the need for altering of the landscape in a number of ways like the creation of housing schemes. Lynch gained passes in 10 CSES subjects with five grade ones.
Delesta Alexander is passionate about teaching and wants to mould young minds to bring out the best in them.
“Students look up to their teachers for guidance and path-breaking initiatives. When they meet an inspired teacher, they start believing in their own dreams. That’s the kind of teacher I want to be,” said Alexander. She is the daughter of Reserve Sergeant, Mark Alexander.
Brigadier Patrick West congratulated the awardees and encouraged them to continue to work hard for more successes in their academic pursuits.
On this note, he urged them to pursue further education before entering the world of work. He urged them to see further education as an investment in their future. Further, Brigadier West congratulated the parents of the awardees and conveyed the force’s commitment to continue to support the children of military families by recognising excellence in academic achievement.
