While Kamal Wood feat in topping this year’s Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) Examinations with 11 ones is considered extraordinary, a number of other students have also done remarkably well. {{more}}
Kyle Defreitas, Trendon Cato, Mikhail Charles, and Cheyne Coombs, four students from the St. Vincent Grammar School (SVGS) all passed ten subjects. Their Alma Mater obtained an 84% pass rate while their neighbours, the Girls’ High School (GHS) managed to better that with a 96.1% pass rate with Mandella Campbell and Julianna Francis receiving passes in 11 subject areas. The GHS also saw fifteen other students passing ten subjects with commendable grades.
When SEARCHLIGHT spoke to Campbell and Francis last Tuesday; both were in a jubilant mood and waiting to begin studies at the St. Vincent Community College in September.
Campbell received grade one passes in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Information Technology, French, Spanish, English Language, English Literature, Caribbean History, Social Studies and a grade two in Mathematics. Campbell who is the daughter of Queen’s Counsel Parnell and Juliette Campbell credits her achievement to hard work and dedication to her studies. She speaks of receiving a lot of support from family friends and a number of teachers who she said went the extra mile.
“I sacrificed a lot,” said the 17-year-old Campbell who spoke about reducing her use of the Internet and television and using the time to study. She also talked about burning the proverbial midnight oil and choosing to study instead of going out to party.
The aspiring lawyer is the sister of Dr. Arusha Campbell who received an island scholarship in 1995. The third child in a family of six children hopes to enroll in the faculty of humanities at the Community College.
Francis also achieved eleven subject passes with ones in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Information Technology and Principles of Accounts (POA). Grade Two passes were obtained in English Language, English Literature, Geography, French and Music. She like Campbell also plans to enroll in the faculty of humanities at the Community College. Francis said that her favourite subjects are Mathematics and Physics. She revealed that her passion for these subjects is leading her to a career in Aeronautics. Francis offers advice to other students: “Do not waste time because it is something that you cannot retrieve,” she also advises, “work must not be allowed to pile up and if you don’t like a particular subject do not give up on it just try hard.”
Francis is the daughter of Albert and Shirla Francis, has one sister Aleisha and enjoys playing the piano and is
also actively involved in dancing.