–Guyanese awardees attribute success to discipline, hard work

THE Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), on Thursday awarded the annual Dennis Irvine Award to Atishta Seenarine of the Saraswati Vidya Niketan School in Guyana for her achievement as the Most Outstanding Overall Student at the 2022 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

Outam Heeralall of the Anna Regina Secondary School was also awarded for his performance as the Most Outstanding Overall Student at the 2022 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination.

This year’s award ceremony was held in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), but Guyana and several other nations joined virtually.

Guyana copped a number of awards, with Seenarine also being awarded as the Most Outstanding Overall Student in Natural Sciences at the CAPE level, having achieved 18 Grade Ones.

Meanwhile, at the CSEC level, Saskia Twahir of Queen’s College was the Most Oustanding Student in the Humanities.

Saskia is also the Most Outstanding Student in Business, having attainted 24 Grade Ones and three Grade Twos.

Sheridan Dyal, of Queen’s College, was adjudged the Most Outstanding Student in the Sciences, while Outam Heeralall is this year’s Most Outstanding Student in Technical Vocational Education.

In an invited comment to reporters following the ceremony, Seenarine shared that the experience has been an immense overflow of emotions.

“It’s actually overwhelming; it’s been a long time since the announcement has been made, so the feeling was going away a bit, but the first time when I heard it, it was excitement and just overwhelming,” she related, noting that her next move is to study Medicine at the University of Guyana.

Further, in sharing some advice for students who are preparing to sit examinations this year, Seenarine said: “Just work hard, and do your best in everything; just put your best foot forward.”

Heeralall also urged students to be true to themselves, as he believes every individual is different, and has their own unique way of doing things.

“It differs for different persons; some persons may have different likes, so I would say be yourself, be you, and most importantly, be motivated,” he related.

Referring to his own success, the teen said: “I feel so happy; this has been one of my dreams. I actually dreamt of this when Anna Regina Secondary topped the Caribbean in 2019, and that is what motivated me to be here.”

Reflecting on her experience, Dyal said: “I’m ecstatic that this is finally happening. I’ve been looking forward for this day, because I know it’s usually a big event, and I’m glad that I am here, and I am glad that all the effort that I put in over the past five years has turned out to be very fruitful.”

The teen shared that she is currently perusing studies in CAPE and intends to further advance her academic portfolio by studying Medicine.

She also hopes to explore other options, as she is the owner of a small enterprise called ‘Teen Hustle.’

Dyal related: “I’m studying Medicine for now, but I always see myself switching at some point in time because right now I’m actually running a business, so with the business aspect of it and then the medicine aspect of it I can still see myself changing in the future.”

In imparting her knowledge to the upcoming generation, Twahir said: “Take everything in strides, understand that failure can actually be one of the best things that happens not in the exam but in the steps of preparation.”

She added: “Pace yourself and ensure that you prioritize your health, your mental wellbeing. And give it your best shot.”

She also urged students to practice heavily with pass papers.

Twahir is currently perusing studies at Nations Guyana and intends to further her studies in economics and finance.

Meanwhile in brief remarks, CXC registrar, Dr. Wayne Weasly, congratulated all students who were successful at the examinations.