Like many other students, 16-year-old Vishnu Surendra of Queenstown, Region Two, was balancing studies with his commitments outside of school as he prepared to write this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. Unlike many of them, however, his life outside of school involved managing the Queenstown Gyaan Sagar Mandir, where he is priest-in-charge after becoming enamoured with Hinduism at a tender age.
Despite his responsibilities, Surendra emerged as one of top CSEC students in both Essequibo and the country. He earned 14 grade ones, 2 grade twos, and a grade three.
During an interview with Stabroek News, Surendra related that leading up to the examinations it became challenging for him to meet deadlines for his assignments and also manage the mandir.
He said he did not give up and instead organised his studies and managed his time wisely so he could find a balance. “I never forsake (sic) my spiritual profession but rather I found the balance to study as well as support my mandir. The members [of the mandir], and my parents gave me the support I needed,” Surendra said.
He related that the global pandemic did force him to depend on private tutoring and extra lessons in preparation for the examinations. He recalled that while taking extra lessons sometimes classes would run late but nevertheless his mother would usually wake him up at 03:00 hrs to practice on past papers.
Surendra was a top performer at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) at the Queenstown Primary School and earned a place at St Rose’s High School. However, due to the distance he would have to travel from home, he opted to attend the Anna Regina Secondary School, where he became a student in the business stream.
Surendra is hoping that he can secure a scholarship to pursue his dreams of becoming a dental surgeon. His father, Surendra (only name) is a cash- crop farmer and he said that he is proud of his son’s performance. His mother, Babita Surendra, also said that her son is a blessing to the family and she is happy with his achievements. The father said that he ensured he toiled in the gardens to ensure that his son received all the funding needed to complete his studies.
Jayshree Persaud, a member of the Queenstown mandir, said she admires young Surendra’s efforts to balance his responsibilities. She noted that despite his examinations he made time to attend and officiate services every Sunday.
