ANNA Regina Multilateral Secondary School (ARMS) student Swasti Salena Saytoo, is not only academically brilliant, but she is an ardent public speaker and an exceptional dancer.
She was awarded 18 Grade Ones and 3 Grade Twos at the 2020 sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination. This outstanding performance ensured she copped the second best performer position for Region Two and the third spot for the country.
Over the years, the eighteen-year-old has won many prizes and awards for dancing and public speaking at various competitions, including Mashramani and the JOF Haynes Debating Competition. Saytoo who currently resides at Zorg, lost her father, Devanand Saytoo, at the tender age of 11. During a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, she recalled his tireless efforts working as a chauffeur to ensure she had all the necessary resources for a sound nursery and primary education.
Since his death, she has formed a tight bond with her mother, Malini Lall, who is a teacher at the Abram Zuil Secondary School. The teen described her mother as her biggest motivator before recalling that from an early age she was passionate about education.

Saytoo said her mother built a strong foundation for her educational development while she was in nursery school. She recalled that her mother, who was not yet a teacher, would spend a lot of her time teaching her basic vocabulary and phonics.
After completing her primary education, she was enrolled at the Taymouth Manor Primary where she gained excellent grades each school term. Her average percentage was between 94% and 98%. She explained that she was always proud at the end of the year as she always copped the first place position, an accomplishment that made her parents proud.
The struggles of her parents were enough to push her to do well at the CSEC examination, she said.
“I still remember at Affiance Nursery School I was the only child being able to read all the Pat and Roy books from cover to cover with great ease and as my time progressed at the elementary institution, my teachers and parents realised my talents and love for dance,” a smiling Saytoo told this publication.
She said her dancing career started when she entered the Children’s Mashramani Competition one year and managed to secure the third place position.
Additionally, she participated in the JOF Haynes Debating Competition where she was awarded the best speaker title on several occasions. In 2018, she was awarded first place for both the oral and physical presentations at the ARMS Science Fair.

She said she also has a passion for craft and has worked tirelessly with teachers at the ARMS to make an entire sari and matching accessories out of plastic garbage. She later modelled the piece at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “Trash to Fashion” competition where she was awarded the prize for the most marketable piece.
“I was always a vibrant activist at the Hindu society cohesion club, drama club, environmental club, and even sports. These clubs led me to acquire experiences at the National Drama Festival and further with the Regional Chair competitions,” Saytoo said.
Speaking more about her dancing skills, she explained to this publication that she gets to express her emotions through dancing. She has been dancing with the Kandhiyah Dance Troupe for over eight years. She noted that she has been able to showcase her dancing talents at numerous events held in the region.

Further, she spoke about how her life changed in 2019 after participating in the United States of America’s Youth Ambassador Programme. During the three weeks she spent in the United States, she learnt about various projects and entrepreneurship.
Saytoo said sitting 21 subjects was no easy task. She arrived at the final number after having a discussion with her mother. She had lessons as early as 07:00 hrs and as late as 22:00 hrs. According to the teen, she was very determined and committed, and sometimes studied until 04:00 hrs.
She expressed gratitude to all the teachers and staff of the Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary School, adding that she is hoping to acquire a scholarship to pursue studies in Civil Engineering at a university in Canada. Meanwhile, her mother said she is elated that her only child has performed well. Lall said she has always admired the way her daughter studied and the late hours she would put into it. Lall described her as an obedient child, who loves dancing.