Sixteen-year-old Sonya Valini Yacoob of the New Amsterdam Multilateral School has earned the distinction of being the best Business Education student at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).
Sonya, who created history by becoming the first Berbician to excel in this category, was among other Region Six students honoured at the Regional Awards Ceremony held at Albion, Corentyne recently.
Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali presented her with two awards at the ceremony for her outstanding performance.
She gained eleven grade one passes with eight distinctions, copping the second place at her school and the fourth position in the region.
She felt she could not have attained her success without the help and support of her mother Indira and father Dr Yacoob who is attached to the New Amsterdam Hospital, and teachers especially Ms Benn, Mr Dhanraj, Ms Jonelle, Ms Babb, Mr Wright, Ms Jonas and Ms Isaacs.
She was described by her father as “a self-disciplined child who will do well in whatever she puts her mind to.”
Dr Yacoob said too, “Sonya has always done well in school. I have always encouraged her to be an independent student. She has done most studies on her own.” Sonya said “the motivation behind my success was due mainly to the fact that I wanted to further my education and prove the point that students don’t have to slave over extra lessons and late nights to be able to achieve their ultimate goals.”
She is currently pursuing a career as a computer programmer/software developer and has enrolled for a major in Computer Science at the University of Guyana Tain, Campus.