11 grade ones put Kyle at top for boys

Kyle James believes that he is on the path to achieving his career dream of becoming a chemical engineer.{{more}}

His latest accomplishments at the Caribbean Examination Council’s CSEC examinations have inched him closer towards that goal.

After attaining 11 grade ones, which put him at the top of the list for boys, at the St Vincent Grammar School and nationally, Kyle sees himself undergoing another six years of education before his goal is realized.

“Compared to things like medicine, it’s not as long,” Kyle told SEARCHLIGHT during an interview on Wednesday this week.

“… I could do four years straight, I can get both my Bachelor’s and Master’s at the same time at most universities. So I think after my two years at college, I don’t think I want to take that break, I think I will want to go straight to university after college and four years to get my Bachelor’s and Master’s.

“One of the reasons why I chose that is because it can open up a lot of doors. You could work in industries like oil and pharmaceuticals, and energy production and all these different things. Basically, anywhere that people use a process to make something, chemical engineers are needed.

“And it’s a highly paid field as well,” the former headboy and 2013 valedictorian added.

The 16-year-old gained straight A profiles in English A, math, English B, biology, chemistry, physics, Information Technology, priniciples of business, Spanish and French. His lone B profile was in geography.

Kyle assisted the St Vincent Grammar School to achieve a 94.5 per cent pass rate, the best in the school’s history, eclipsing the previous best of 90 per cent secured in 2010 and 2011.

A release from the school indicated that the 124 boys scored 100 per cent passes in 16 of the 23 subject areas, three subjects recorded pass rates in the 90’s, with the remaining four recording pass rates of 87.61, 82.76, 79.03 and 69 per cents respectively.

Six other students were successful in the eleven subject areas they sat, while one student passed the ten subjects he wrote, with ten grade ones.

The release said the other top performers are Jamarl Alexander who passed 11 subjects with 10 grade ones; Ricklon Hutchinson – 10 subjects with 10 grade ones; Curtis Johnson – 11 subjects with 9 grade ones; David Browne and K’Andrew Beckford, both of whom gained 10 subjects with nine grade ones.

Deputy headmaster of the school Curtis King said that the faculty of the school is extremely proud of the boys’ performance, and he expects the pass rate and percentages to climb, over the not too distant future.

Kyle also expressed pride in not only his performance, but also for the performance of his fellow students as well other top performers.

“Everybody is telling each other congratulations…. I am proud of them because we all worked together, most of us were in the same class from the start of Grammar school and some of them I knew from prep school as well, and they are proud of me too.

“I’d like to publically congratulate some of my other friends like Kaela and Paige and Hasani and Kimberly (of the Girls’ High School) who I know personally who would have done exceptionally well, and I would like to thank my teachers from pre-school up to this points, too many to mention.

“I think too that the school’s overall performance of 94.5 per cent is really commendable, especially for boys, you know you find these days that boys are being left behind. I think we did well to achieve that…. We are getting really close to the Girls’ High School… and I think it’s possible, it just a matter of stepping up their game.”

Kyle credited his own accomplishment to his dedication to his work, studying hard, and also being blessed with a ‘really good memory,’ which he said allowed him to retain much of the knowledge he garnered over the years, and made it easy for him to bring it back.

Kyle’s mother, Louisa James, also expressed to SEARCHLIGHT the family’s pride in his achievements to date, and said that she believes he will achieve his goals because of his dedication.

His father is Dr Franklyn James.

“He is the person if he sets his mind at something and tells you that he is going to do it, he is going to do it, and he is disciplined enough to ensure that whatever needs to be done is done, and that is commendable.

“Five years ago when he topped common entrance there is always the expectation that he would continue to do well, and he has not disappointed in this regard because he has always taken his academics very seriously.”

Kyle’s mom said that her humble and content son would be rewarded with the new cell phone that he requested, as he prepares to sojourn on the next phase of his voyage; the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College.

Kyle offered the advice that although a social life is necessary, students should at all times take their academics seriously.

“Your academics is important because at the end of the day you need to achieve, because when you don’t achieve these people in your social scene will evaporate, because they are not going to gravitate towards failure.”(JJ)