Twenty seven nominated for National Scholarships

J. Soso-Vincent 29.AUG.08

A whopping 27 graduates of the Division of Arts, Sciences and General Studies of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College are being nominated for this year’s National Scholarships.{{more}} This is according to Marcus Caine, Senior Education Officer, who made the announcement earlier this week at a press conference. Caine said that the results of the A’level exams had been so good, many more students than in previous years would be recommended.

SEARCHLIGHT was fortunate enough to interview nine of those top-performing students earlier this week.

Jason Haynes is a Diamond resident who has ambitions of someday becoming a diplomat, once he has attained an LLB and a Master’s degree in International Relations. With his grades, that should not be difficult. Jason received grade As in A’level Law, Psychology and Sociology; Grade ones in Computer Science Units 1 & 2, Communication Studies and Caribbean Studies (CAPE) and scored a grade B in Computer Studies, which he completed through the University of Belize.

Not surprised

When he discovered that he had done so well, Jason confessed that he was neither surprised nor extremely elated. “I was filled with relief, thankfulness and appreciation to God and those who have supported me through my academic journey,” he admitted. Coming from an economically disadvantaged home, Jason revealed that many times he would have the dilemna of choosing between “…purchasing food and photocopying notes and other tutorials.” Possessing no textbooks, he would have to use copied chapters from friends’ textbooks, the Internet and library facilities to do his revision. Being at a constant disadvantage only spurred Jason on to strive for excellence, and he hopes that his academic performance serves to inspire others to aim high as well. He encourages the next batch of students to put their trust in God and remember that opportunities only come but once, so they must make the most of them when they can. “I was no genius, but I learned to be disciplined, contented and focused…” he shared.

Jason is a former student of the St. Martin’s Secondary School and is already at the University of the West Indies where he has recently embarked on a degree in Law at the Cave Hill campus in Barbados.



Extremely happy to have done so well, Sinitta McLean recalled how emotional she had been when she read her results. “I cried!” she exclaimed. Knowing that she would do well because she had studied hard did nothing to curb the joy that she had felt. And who wouldn’t be overjoyed with her results – grade As in A’level Accounts, Economics and Business Studies and a grade 2 in Communication Studies (CAPE). Sinitta expressed a profound gratitude to her mother, grandparents and teachers for supporting and assisting her throughout her examination period.

Thanking God for giving her the strength to withstand the stress that came with revision, Sinitta explained that, together with her good friend Cassia Toby, she would revise constantly throughout the term. “I don’t like to leave everything to the last minute!”

The Georgetown resident has hopes of becoming an accountant, and is awaiting the results of the national scholarship awards to see if she will be able to go to university. “I’m poor!” she chuckled. In the meantime, she has been applying to accounting firms in town, in the hopes of gaining employment.

The second of the three Georgetown residents, Cassia Toby, returned St. Vincent, from a holiday to Canada, to find her examination results waiting for her. No sooner had she touched down, Cassia recalls that there had been rumours circulating that she had gotten all grade A’s. She could hardly believe it. Therefore, when she discovered that the rumours were actually true she was elated beyond words. Identical to her good friend Sinitta McLean, Cassia had taken A’level Economics, Accounts, Business Studies and CAPE Communication Studies – gaining grade A’s in the first three and a Grade one in Communication Studies.

Cassia plans to take a gap year before attending UWI to study Economics. “I’m giving myself a break from the studying,” she joked. She also has ambitions of doing a second degree in Finance.

Grades a reality



Dauphine resident Javal Wood recalled that he had been “…really happy and a bit surprised” when he discovered his grades. He further explained that his surprise was not at passing, but, that after all the hard work, his grades had become a reality. However, Javal is of the opinion that the college environment is not conducive to exams. “You can hear people walking and talking as they pass by!” he pointed out. In addition, he believes that more could be done by the institution to assist with exam preparation and informing students about syllabus procedure. Despite this, Javal came out with brilliant grades. He scored grade As in A’ level Physics and Chemistry; a grade 1 in Mathematics (CAPE) and a grade 2 in Communication Studies (CAPE).

Presently, Javal related that he is leaning towards a career in Chemical Engineering as he has a keen interest in alternative energies. However, he also has a passion for Physics so his mind is not completely made up on which path he will pursue. Javal also shared that he is torn between attending UWI this year or applying to an international university for entry in 2009.

True to form



Being the daughter of two teachers, there must have been high hopes for Atiah Stevens to do well in her examinations. And, true to form, she delivered the goods. She achieved grade As in A’ level Economics and Business Studies, grade B in A’level Accounts and a grade 2 and 3 in CAPE Communication Studies and Mathematics Unit 1, respectively.

Although she admits that her revision period wasn’t stressful, she did find it a bit challenging. Pleased with her results, she attributes them to being organised and studying well in advance of her actual examination dates. She also has fallen in love with using cue/flash cards during revision. “I think that will be my method of study from now on!” she smiled.

With a love of Economics, Accounts and Business Studies, Atiah has high hopes of pursuing a career as an Economist or a Business Advisor. She intends to take a gap year before attending university, intending to gain some work experience and, of course, make some money. “I’d like to have some responsibilities…” she mused. Having been promised a scholarship to St. George’s University, Grenada, Atiah confessed that she also has interest in attending UWI – either Cave Hill or St. Augustine campus.



In speaking to SEARCHLIGHT, Johanna-Marie Best conveyed that she had been quite surprised at her grades. “I wasn’t expecting to do that well!” she enthused. Johanna-Marie took A’levels in Physics, Chemistry and Biology, scoring grades C, A and B, respectively. She also took CAPE Mathematics Units 1 & 2, gaining a distinction, and CAPE Communication Studies, which she scored a grade 2 for.

The Arnos Vale resident revealed that she intends to take a one-year break before attending university, in which time she will take up teaching at the St. Joseph’s Convent Kingstown. Although she hasn’t made up her mind on which universities she will apply to, she is quite keen on pursuing a path in Bio Engineering.



Like his peers, Keisean Stevenson found his revision and examination period to be difficult – mainly due to the introduction of new material when he should have been revising the old. Despite this, the Old Montrose resident came out of it all with good grades. He scored grade 2 in Mathematics Units 1 & 2; a distinction in Communication Studies, and grade B’s in A’level Biology and Chemistry. Although he is pleased with his results he believes that had there been better conditions to work under at the College, he could have done even better.

Grateful to his mother and teachers for their support and assistance over the 2-year period, he has not yet decided upon a career choice. However, he does have some interest in Biochemistry and Environmental & Natural Resources Management. Like many others, he has decided to take a gap year to gain work experience and, perhaps, to help him come to a concrete decision as to what career path he should take.

Sherry-Ann Williams is the third of the Georgetown residents who have performed well in their examinations. She admitted that she was such a bag of nerves when she went to collect her results that she had asked a friend to go with her just in case she was to “drop down.” When she discovered her scores, her first thought was: “Wow! I actually made it!” Sherry-Ann sat 4 A’ levels in Geography, English Literature, Sociology and History, attaining grade C’s for the former two and grade A’s for the latter two. Added to that, she received a grade 2 for CAPE Communication Studies.

Sherry-Ann unsure

A chatty girl, Sherry-Ann is unsure of whether she will take a gap year or go straight into university, although she believes that she will take a gap year because she wants to discuss her options thoroughly with her parents. What she is sure about is that she would like to forge a career in Tourism Management or International Relations. Failing that, she would like to pursue something Geography-based.

Much like her peers, Priya Debnath found her revision and examination period to be challenging and, at times, stressful. However, she persevered and did her best to revise when she could. And her perseverance paid off. Despite being a bit disappointed with a grade D in Physics, Priya admits: “I was really happy about the Math… the other subjects, I was just glad that I didn’t fail!” She received grade 1 with distinction in Mathematics Unit 2 (having score a grade 1 for Unit 1), a distinction in Communication Studies, and grade B’s for Biology and Chemistry.



Priya revealed that she has ambitions of becoming a doctor, unsure of which specialty. She will be attending St. George’s University in January to study Medicine – her first year will be at the level of 3rd year pre-med. Until then, Priya intends to find employment to help her pass the next four months.

The Cedars resident cautions students to prepare for their examination well in advance. “Don’t wait!” She also recommends getting as many past papers as they can manage and staying ahead of the syllabus. “It doesn’t hurt to be ahead,” she chuckled.