With 20 Grade One passes, Victoria Najab, of the privately-run Saraswati Vidya Niketan (SVN) in Region Three, is the unofficial top performer at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
Najab, 17, opted to sit as many subjects as she did in order to challenge herself. “I’m only writing CSEC once and I didn’t want to write the examination knowing that I could’ve done better. I did the best I could,” she told Stabroek News yesterday.
Najab gained Grade One passes in Additional Mathematics, Agricultural Science (Double Award), Biology, Caribbean History, Chemistry, Economics, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, English A, English B, Geography, Human and Social Biology, Information Technology, Integrated Science, Mathematics, Office Administration, Physics, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Social Studies and Spanish.
She also mentioned that she did not have a study routine and instead tried to retain as much as she could in the classroom. “I just have my classes during which I pay keen attention so that I don’t need to study later on,” she said.
Najab was grateful to God as well as her parents and teachers, without whom she does not believe she would have done as well. She intends to pursue studies in Petroleum Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, in the United States.
Another SVN student, Vamanadev Hiralall, 16, was the second best performer countrywide, with 19 Grade One passes and a Grade Two pass.
The soft-spoken and modest Hiralall, of Leonora, West Coast Demerara, was always a top performer in school but placing second in the country came as a big surprise to him.
He said he never liked to “overestimate” himself. “It is better to underestimate yourself so you work harder like I did in the case of the exam. I studied extremely hard and many nights I burned the midnight oil,” he said.
He said he achieved his success by disciplining himself enough to stay away from smartphones and social media while preparing for the exams.
He also credited the support of his parents and relatives. It was his mother, Anita Hiralall, who called from her workplace to break the good news to him. She learnt about his performance from co-workers, who saw his name on Facebook posts.
Hiralall recalled that there was a lot of “tension about the results, so when I got the call I was very excited and relieved.”
Hiralall, who wrote business and science subjects, has decided to pursue studies in the medical field.
There are seven SVN students in the top 20 and Principal Swami Aksharananda said its results had been improving because the school “has a reputation of being very strict. We don’t accept absentees or failure to do homework or assignments. We have set a high level…”
“We are happy and delighted for our students. We were more or less expecting that [results] because we see how they performed over the years; they were very dedicated. One thing we want to emphasise, as far as these students are concerned, is the strong family support. We believe that if all families take the same amount of interest in their children’s school life we’d have a better performance in education,” he added.
It was the first time students of the school sat 20 subjects.
Despite the performance of the students, Aksharananda said the school is “reconsidering whether we should have our children write so many subjects because since we have now become a CAPE school, and in order to give them a better grounding, they should do less subjects.”
Late nights and early mornings
Aliyah Rasheed, of Anna Regina Secondary, also secured 19 Grade One passes, and achieved the third best performance as well as the best performance by a public school student. According to Rasheed, the passes took lots of late nights and early mornings.
She was grateful to God, without whom she said her achievement would not be possible, as well as her mother, father and older sister, Zimeena. She noted that her older sister, who was the top CSEC performer in 2013, was a major inspiration. Zimeena’s achievement challenged Aliyah to better her results. Aliyah plans on pursuing studies in Chemistry so as to follow in the footsteps of her father, who is a chemist.
The fourth best student is Joshanna Hopkinson, of Queen’s College, who was excited about her 18 Grade One passes.
She told Stabroek News of her intention to pursue studies in law with the aim of becoming a legal journalist.
The dedicated student expressed gratitude to God, her parents, brothers and teachers, especially Joy Browne, Patrick Bernard and Principal Jackie Benn, who made it their duty to help her throughout the often trying process. She also thanked her extended family, including her grandmother, who consistently supported her but passed away before results were announced.
Hopkinson would like students who hope to follow in the path of this year’s top performers to “seriously ask themselves if they need to do so many subjects. If the answer is yes, then know that you must put in a lot of work and make sure you have a strong support base. You can’t do it alone.”
Placing fifth overall is Ashley Anthony, also of Queen’s College, who had many persons to thank for her 17 Grade One passes as well.
“I would like to thank, first of all, my parents and sister, as well as the rest of my family for their unwavering support. I’d like to thank my friends for always keeping me motivated during CSEC,” she told Stabroek News from the UWI Cave Hill campus, where she is attending the Student Program for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE). It is her intention to continue her studies in the sciences.
Noting that her results have made her euphoric, Anthony, who is the daughter of Former Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony and Dr. Shanti Singh, made it clear that her results came from a lot of hard work.
“Preparing for CSEC often means a lot of late nights and studying, but it isn’t impossible and is definitely worth it. My study regime was different, mainly because it wasn’t something rigid; it was flexible,” she said.
Sixth overall is Jagindra Persaud, of Anna Regina Secondary, who found his preparation for the CSEC exams to be a “burden.”
He is very grateful for help and support from all of his teachers, parents and other family members, without which he would not have been able to persevere to his 16 Grade One passes and two Grade Two passes. Persaud intends to pursue studies in a yet unspecified area of medicine. “With career guidance and research, I will be better able to make a decision,” he told Stabroek News.
In seventh place is Abigail Somrah, of Queen’s College, who achieved 16 Grade Ones.
Paige Carter, another Queen’s College student, was next in line with 14 Grade Ones and five Grade Twos. She told Stabroek News that she was happy with her performance although she expected to do better. She expressed gratitude to God, her parents, her teachers and tutors for their constant support.
She explained that she did not have much free time in the months leading up to the exams and advised students who will be sitting the CSEC exams next year to stay focused and prioritise.
Carter, who hopes to become a paediatrician, indicated that she will be returning to Queen’s College to pursue CAPE.
‘A propeller’
At ninth place is Kadesh Daniels, another Queen’s College student, who believes that the most gratitude must first be extended to God, who has guided, protected and encouraged her as she tackled what she described as an academic trial. Her 14 Grade Ones passes and three Grade Twos made her ecstatic.
Speaking with Stabroek News from Barbados, where she is also attending SPISE, she said it is her intention to continue her studies in the sciences.
Daniels expressed immense gratitude for her mother, “whose unwavering faith encouraged and upheld [her] throughout the period.” She was also grateful to her pastor, teachers, tutors and friends, who offered unfaltering support.
“This achievement will serve as a propeller as I diligently pursue a career in pathology, since I find the field very interesting,” she said, while encouraging the students preparing to write exams next year to refrain from putting limits on themselves.
“Believe in yourself and your abilities,” she advised. “Challenge yourself because only then will you truly know your true potential. You must study diligently, work hard as well as smartly and always ensure you are trying your best.”
Shawn Shewram, of St. Rose’s High, was also pleased with his 14 Grade Ones and two Grade Twos, which earned him the tenth spot nationally.
“I had lots of sleepless nights to complete my SBAs. I did not want to go into the exam unprepared and wanted to feel confident,” the happy student, who did not expect to do so well, told Stabroek News.
Shewram, who plans to become a corporate lawyer, was also grateful to his teachers, particularly Sir Kester, Ms Success and Ms Parker, his parents, God, and his friends, especially Renea, Sidoni and Keshawana.
Michael Jagnanan, of Queen’s College, secured 14 Grade Ones and a Grade Two to earn eleventh place nationally.
Jagnanan told Stabroek News that he was proud of himself and happy that he did so well. He thanked his family and teachers for pushing him to study and guiding him through his SBAs. He also thanked his friends for supporting him.
Jagnanan, who will be attending sixth form at Queen’s College in order to continue his studies on the path to becoming a corporate lawyer, advised students who will be sitting the exam next year to start studying now because the preparation will become overwhelming.
In twelfth place is Mohini Sudama, 16, of the SVN, who was beaming with excitement when she spoke to Stabroek News.
She said she was very surprised at her results although she always performed well. She wrote 15 subjects and has achieved 14 Grade Ones and a Grade Two.
She thanked “everyone who helped throughout this journey, especially my parents, grandmother and teachers.”
Her parents, Madeswar Sudama and Susreshma Singh, told this newspaper that they are “extremely proud.”
Shannon Woodroffe, of Queen’s College, attained 14 Ones and placed thirteenth overall. She said she treated CSEC exams just like any other exam. She ensured that she ate and got enough sleep to perform excellently. She made every effort to complete her SBAs before the scheduled time so that she could dedicate more time to studying. Woodroffe thanked God, her sister Sasha, her teachers, and her parents. Her next goal is doing well at CAPE as she returns to Queen’s College to study in the field of Natural Sciences.
Hemwantie Seodat, 16, of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, managed to secure passes in 20 subjects to earn fourteenth place overall. She received 13 Grade Ones, four Grade Twos and three Grade Threes.
The SVN student was expecting to do better but she is still satisfied with her results. She expressed gratitude to her parents, sisters and teachers who helped her. She intends to pursue business studies at the University of Guyana.
In fifteenth place is Simon Bactawar, of New Amsterdam Multilateral, who is also the top student of Region Six. He is currently on vacation overseas.
Bactawar gained 13 Grade Ones and four Grade Twos and his performance came as no surprise to the school. “We were expecting him to excel,” the head teacher of the school said yesterday, after learning of Bactawar’s results.
Stephen Bactawar, the boy’s father, expressed immense joy at his son’s performance.
The elder Bactawar, a welfare officer attached to the Ministry of Education in Region Six, noted that his son’s academic performance between first and fourth forms was not very satisfactory but from the time he entered fifth form it improved significantly. The father stated that it was same at the primary level, where the boy’s performance improved in his last year and he even managed to gain a place at Queen’s College.
Another SVN student, Parmeshrie Rampersaud, 16, of Uitvlugt who is currently in the US on vacation, was shocked and started crying when she got the news of her results from her sister. She secured 13 Grade Ones, three Grade Twos and three Grade Threes and placed sixteenth countrywide. She did not expect to do so well because she was challenged with medical complaints during the exams. Her mother, Indroutie Persaud, said the family moved from Wakenaam for Parmeshrie to attend Zeeburg Secondary School, where she spent two years. She said her daughter “was an overall top student from form one.”
Her SVN schoolmate Nashini Nandalal, 16, of Best Village, West Coast Demerara, had the next best performance with 13 Grade Ones, two Grade Twos and a Grade Three.
She was excited when her mother told her how well she had done, although she was expecting to do well. “I studied hard and had the support of everyone, especially my parents and teachers,” said Nandalal, who plans to further her studies in business management.
Darnell Benn, of Queen’s College, managed 13 Grade Ones and two Grade Twos, which was the eighteenth best performance overall. “I was studying months before CSEC but I felt I fell back and needed to make up for it,” Benn told Stabroek News.
He explained that he studied six to eight hours a day in the subjects in which he felt needed more attention. He noted that it was important to mix application subjects with reading ones to maximise his efforts. For him, the many hours of studying were “worth it” and he encouraged future candidates to put in the efforts now because it is worth it in the end. He would like to thank his teachers, parents and God. He will be pursuing the ACCA programme as he works towards his dream of becoming a chartered accountant.
SVN student Patricia Ramsaroop gained 13 Grade Ones, a Grade Two and a Grade Three and placed nineteenth overall.
Bhavesh Digamber attributed his success to late nights and early mornings studying for the exams. The Queen’s College student, who achieved 12 Grade Ones, six Grade Twos and a Grade Three to place twentieth overall, told Stabroek News that lessons also helped prepare him for the exams.
He urged students to add the study guides for each subject to their booklists because he found them to be the most useful books as they gave him a general idea about the exams. He thanked his parents and teachers, especially the Head of the Science Department and Chemistry teacher Navendra Hardyal, for their help. Though he is yet to settle on a specific area of study, he envisions a career in chemistry or computer science for himself.
