Scholar continues to excel academically and also in her artistic pastime

NITYA Vaishnavi Narine is a multi-talented teenager who is no stranger to making headlines in the local news, which has highlighted her numerous academic achievements and artistic talent over the years.

The top performer always had a natural knack for excelling in whatever she set out to do, be it in academics, a project, or her personal artistic ventures during her spare time.
Narine, the 14-year-old, has set high standards. Being the daughter of parents who were both teachers at Tagore Memorial Secondary for more than 30 years, they have always allowed Narine to follow her dreams and choose her path in academics.

She is a very soft-spoken teenager who is successful in whatever she undertakes. She loves reading and learning new things, such as solving Rubik’s cubes.
As an out-of-the-ordinary person with a mind of her own, she is clearly not your typical child but an overachiever who is geared towards success, and it is not a surprise to her parents, who realised from an early age that she was destined for greatness.

Narine is a student who is often stimulated by learning new things and puts in the extra work without being told to. She goes beyond the norm to remain on top of things.
As a resident of Number 63 Village, she is a simple person who endeavours to be the best version of herself. She is sure of the career path she wants to take and is working towards that goal.

Achievements
Narine won the Region Six Grade Five Spelling Competition in June 2021. She was the winner of the inaugural Guyana Learning Channel National Spelling Bee Competition in 2022.
She topped Region Six at the National Grade Two Exams in 2018. She wrote the National Grade Six Assessment Exams in 2021 while she was in Grade Five and obtained a place at Bishop’s High School. She attended Bishop’s for a term and then transferred to Tagore Memorial Secondary in Grade Seven.

Narine participated in the Region Six Mash Competition in the Dramatic Poetry Segment and placed third. She also represented New Market Primary at the National STEM Fair in 2018 while in Grade Two and placed first.

The 14-year-old represented Tagore Memorial Secondary at the COVID-19 and Immunisation Webinar and Regional Trivia Competition involving schools from Guyana and the Caribbean.
She also participated in Art/Painting competitions and displays:

National Trincholoro Art Competition – 2nd place; won a tablet for herself and a computer and cleaning supplies for Tagore Memorial Secondary.

Displayed paintings at Castellani House during the Ministry of Education’s exhibition for secondary schools.

Recently participated in an art exhibition at Castellani House: Immersion – Into the Jungle with renowned professional artists across the country.

Participated in local art exhibitions with the Berbice Art and Craft Collective (a group of local artists).

Narine has sold more than 30 paintings over the past few years and has a collection of her paintings at home.

She recently represented Tagore Memorial Secondary at the Guyana-China Friendship Youth Leadership Development Competition and placed first for Region Six.

A Brilliant Girl
According to Vishal Narine, a former teacher who is now the Education Officer for Region Six, “We try our best to make both the children enjoy a rounded childhood, not only the academics but we give them exposure to other areas also, such as sports, cultural events, and hobbies.”

He reported that when Nitya was a smaller child growing up, he would give her stories and interviews of the top students from every NGSA and CSEC exam for her to read so she could understand what it takes to become a top student. Since she loved reading from a young age, this exposure was beneficial.

“Reading has contributed to her ability to write poems herself. I introduced both of my children to the National Library at an early age. As soon as they started primary school, they joined it and have been reading ever since,” Vishal said.

Nitya’s mother, a school teacher, Fareza Narine, told Pepperpot Magazine that from birth, she realised that her daughter wasn’t the average child, as she exhibited great knowledge at a tender age.

She stated that even in nursery school, Nitya was more advanced than her friends, and as she grew, she continued to excel in her studies and everything else she undertook, be it projects or schoolwork.

Mrs Narine pointed out that from infancy, Nitya demonstrated great potential—she could read, write, and do many things as a young child, and it was amazing to see her grow into an intelligent teenager.

She revealed that Nitya always loved to draw and colour as a child. It started at the nursery level, and as the years went on, she began to develop into an artist, using acrylic paint.

“Nitya is a blessed child. With minimal guidance, she knows what she has to do and completes schoolwork and other tasks ahead of time. She is a genius at time management and gets everything done,” Mrs Narine said.

She added that she is very proud to be the mother of such a brilliant girl, who is a quiet child but comes alive whenever she has to perform or lead.

Nitya told Pepperpot Magazine that reading played a vital role in her education, but she has always loved to draw. It was an inborn skill she sharpened into an artistic talent, and she now paints beautiful pieces.

“I always loved drawing. I would spend time doing drawings and colouring as a child. My skills peaked during COVID-19 when I was at home, and I started painting pastels,” she said.

Nitya is a science stream student at Tagore Memorial Secondary School, and she aspires to become a doctor.