(Jamaica Gleaner) Last week, the Child Protection and Family Services Agency announced that this is a historic year for them after a record number of wards became eligible for universities. And top of the lot is star performer Ainsley Rodhen, who picked up nine subjects this year to complete grade 11 with 14 CSEC subjects.
The former B.B. Coke High School student bagged seven distinctions, another seven credits, and a solitary pass. And if that was not enough, he added two City and Guilds and NCTVET in electrical to his high school-parting achievement.
Rodhen, who admitted to having doubts before last month’s results, shared his joyous experience in finding out he has aced them all, especially English.
“To be honest, because of the whole coronavirus situation and school was out, I was having doubts, especially with English. I’m the type of person that learns better with face-to-face [tuition], where I can interact with the teacher … . I was coming from work tired and thing in the evening, but had to see the results. The first thing I looked at was English; immediately, I started to smile. At the time, my co-workers who were walking beside me said, ‘That text sweet you, though,’ but they didn’t know. I was so excited and relieved,” Rodhen said.
Rodhen is happy he was able to again make the persons who believed in him proud.
Being in a facility like the Manning Boys Home in St Elizabeth posed quite a challenge for Rodhen to study while at home, but he was resilient and determined to do well.
Grateful To Those Who Believed In Him
“Most people didn’t really believe in me until 2018, when I did Spanish and IT (information technology) and got them in (grade) two. Since then, the social workers and managers at Manning believed in me and, this year, said they knew I could do it, and congratulated me. If you talk about belief in me from day one, the teachers at school always did, sometimes I thought they were operating on me. I’m happy to make them proud because I know they wanted me to pass their subject,” Rodhen said.
“One person I’m really happy to make proud is Miss Murray at the facility, because even last year when I had challenges paying for the three (subjects) I did, she paid for them. When she heard about the results this year again, she was really proud of me,” he added.
“My dorm is always full, like 20 of us, and, most times, it’s loud or something, because they are hyperactive. Even if I wanted to go outside, I couldn’t do that at nights because it’s dark, so I just had to try and concentrate throughout everything. Sometimes I would put down my book and some of the boys would hide it just as a prank,” Rodhen said.
“Throughout all of that, my biggest motivation was fear of failure. Growing up in a high-poverty situation and seeing a lot of people around me fail, it pushed me no matter what. Sometimes at nights I get tired and weary, but I just push on and do the right thing. Nuff negative influences come around me, from the burning of weed to ‘scull’ class, but I just stick to the main objective,” he added.
When asked about what’s next for the 18-year-old, Rodhen told The Gleaner that he is now enrolled at the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU).
“I am now going to CMU pursuing a degree in logistics and support chain management. Before I got into CMU, I wanted to, maybe, study medicine. However, I got through here and I am just looking to continue doing well and make everyone who believes in proud.”