Secondary school student ‘raises the bar’
15-year-old Destiny Burnett
15-year-old Destiny Burnett

–pursues Diploma in Child Psychology at American University of Peace Studies

DESTINY Burnett, a 15-year-old student of Saint Stanislaus College has taken a step further in her academic journey by pursuing a Diploma in Child Psychology at the American University of Peace Studies Inc.
Burnett who is in fifth form, first did a short course in child psychology from March to April, graduating with a distinction in the course.

Recognising her abilities, her parents encouraged her to forge ahead and use her certificate to further her studies in the area of child psychology.
Burnett completed her first semester recently and came out as the top performer in all three of her courses.

“The university decided to accept me as their youngest student because they were impressed,” she said.
Burnett as a high school student, is balancing studying for the University, School-based Assessments (SBAs), and preparation for her Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, which she is slated to write next year.

“As a student of both institutions, I developed a sense of balance. I learned to prioritise and organise myself and my studies in a way that I do not become too overwhelmed,” she related.
According to Burnett, it takes commitment and a great amount of patience to accomplish anything you put your mind to.

“While balancing the assignments and exams at the university, I was also working towards the completion of my SBAs. I always kept reassuring myself that no matter how tired I felt, it is going to be worth it,” she said.
Burnett added: “What you put in is what you will get out. You put in hard work, you accomplish excellent things. My advice to anyone who wants to study is to always have a goal in mind so you will have something to work towards. It takes dedication. Sacrifices will have to be made. You might feel frustrated but don’t let that stop you from pursuing your dreams and goals. If you believe it, you can achieve it.”

She noted that the reason she chose to study psychology was because she was struggling mentally and found that psychology studies taught her a lot about her mental health and how to manage it well.
“I also thought that studying so early was going to make life after school a little easier and I wouldn’t have to study as much. So, the sacrifice is worth it,” Burnett said.

Career-wise, she is aiming towards either becoming a child psychologist or a therapist. Although the teen said this could also be a backup career, she recently took an interest in becoming an air hostess.
The young girl said that so far, it has not been challenging to balance both studies, but now that she is in fifth form and needs to increase her work load, she is unsure of what to expect and hopes that she could continue to manage her studies well.

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