Williams cops fifth for boys and seventh overall

Despite copping one of the top 11 places in the country for the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) examinations, Kingstown Preparatory School student Elrias Williams Jr feels he could have done better.

In the first sitting of the CPEA in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Williams placed fifth{{more}} for boys and seventh overall.

“I’m a little disappointed, because I could have done better, but I feel good because I did very well,” he said.

The son of Elrias and Roxanne Williams was first for his school, returning 98 per cent for Mathematics, 88 per cent for Language Arts and 88 per cent for Science.

Williams, who was also valedictorian at his graduation on June 12, disclosed that sacrificing his technological gadgets and television time played a big role in preparing for exams. He took the opportunity to urge upcoming Grade six students to do the same, as it is necessary to be successful.

“Trust in God, because he will help you to do your best and sacrifice. Make a lot of sacrifices to achieve the goals that you want to achieve. Never settle for less than your best,” he said.

Williams’ mother, Roxanne, told SEARCHLIGHT that she was pleased with her son’s performance.

“I am very pleased with his performance. I know he has always worked hard, always trusted in God, so although he’s disappointed, I am happy that he did well. He’s in the top 10,” she said.

The Economics and Principles of Business teacher admitted to being scared when she first heard of the implementation of CPEA, but is now happy that the transition from the Common Entrance Examination has gone smoothly.

“At first I was concerned … that the students may not have had enough time to prepare, but I think after the training the teachers received and the meetings we attended, it kind of settled with us,” she said.

“One of the things is that we’ve always trusted in God. I know that it wasn’t anything that we could have done on our own, so we really want to thank God for intervening and thank him for seeing my family through this entire process. It was new. It was scary not knowing what to expect but, all in all, we trusted God and I think that was what was key – our trust and our hope.”

When he gets older, the black-belt karateka has high hopes of serving in the United States Army; but for now, beginning September, Williams will be attending the St Vincent Grammar School, where his mother is a teacher.