Seventeen-year-old Naresh Jagnanan of Belle Plaine, Region Three and Essequibo Islands Secondary has been named as the top business student at the 2021 sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
Jagnanan, who attended the Essequibo Islands Secondary, wrote 11 subjects at the 2021 sitting of the CSEC examinations and scored Grade Ones in all 11. He is one of several Guyanese students who won regional awards from the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) and the only one who hailed from outside Georgetown. And according to the high achiever, it is for this reason that he is ecstatic and elated for receiving such a recognition and award.
During an interview with Stabroek News, Jagnanan who is the youngest child for his parents, noted that despite various challenges, he is satisfied with his achievements. He disclosed that he is currently pursuing a diploma in Foundation in Accounting at Cacique Accounting College and will be enrolling at the University of Guyana in the next semester under a scholarship funded by the Ministry of Education.
The young man stated that he is laying the foundation of his career path in the Business and Accounting fields.
“My parents didn’t have much but they ensured that I gained the necessary financial support, encouragements and moral support I needed.”
The Wakenaam Island student said that he has a passion for education and believes that it is important to be involved in extra-curricular activities as well. He is particularly interested in Mathematics, Finance, Accounting, and Economics.
“My love for accounting started off as a hobby by helping my colleagues and schoolmates and by usually securing 100 per cent in Principles of Accounts at my school, Ultimately I realised that accounting was my destiny and I know that I can optimally and effectively contribute to Guyana’s development in that very field” he explained.
Challenges
Studying during the pandemic was his biggest challenge especially since the island has poor internet connectivity. He noted that many of the learners on the island had to do online classes and this was challenging due to poor internet connectivity. “Additionally, power outages were frequent during the hours of my classes which hindered our teacher from providing the quality tutoring services that we deserve. Consequently, I had to adapt to this approach over-time.”
Jagnanan is happy to have received a scholarship from the Ministry of Education and both his parents, Runita Khelawan and Bhawani Jagnanan, are satisfied with their son’s performance.
The young man also expressed gratitude to all the teachers of his school and his parents. He advises learners to ensure that they conduct revision and to do extra studies leading up to examinations. He also encouraged them to remain humble and to continue to climb the ladder of success.
