Antiguan student tops CSEC awards

For the first time, a student from a school in Antigua and Barbuda has won the Regional Top Award for the Most Outstanding Candidate Overall in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).

Brandon Judnarine, of the St Joseph Academy, copped the award with a record 21 Grade I’s and one Grade II.{{more}} Brandon achieved Grade I in Additional Mathematics, Biology, Caribbean History, Chemistry, Economics, English A, English B, French, Geography, Information Technology, Integrated Science, Mathematics, Office Administration, Physics, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Social Studies, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, Physical Education and Sport, Human and Social Biology, and Building Technology; and Grade II in Technical Drawing.

Four students from Guyana are also among this year’s awardees: two from perennial winners Queen’s College and one each from Anna Regina Secondary and Saraswati Vidya Niketan School.

Shannon Woodroffe of Queen’s College takes the award for most outstanding performance in Sciences, with Grade I in 14 subjects: Additional Mathematics, Agricultural Science, Biology, Chemistry, English A, English B, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, French, Geography, Human and Social Biology, Information Technology, Integrated Science, Mathematics and Physics.

Joshanna Hopkinson, also of Queen’s College, is the Humanities award winner, with 18 Grade I’s in Additional Mathematics, Caribbean History, Economics, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, English A, English B, French, Geography, Information Technology, Integrated Science, Mathematics, Office Administration, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Religious Education, Social Studies, and Spanish.

Aliyah Rasheed, of regular winners Anna Regina Secondary, cops the Technical Vocation award with Grade I in 20 subjects: Agricultural Science (DA), Biology, Chemistry, English A, English B, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, Electrical and Electronic Technology, Food and Nutrition, Home Economics Management, Information Technology, Integrated Science, Mathematics, Office Administration, Physics, Principles of Business, Social Studies, Spanish, Technical Drawing, and Physical Education and Sport.

Another student with 20 subjects, Victoria Najab of Saraswati Vidya Niketan School, takes the award for Most Outstanding performance in Business subjects. Victoria achieved Grade I in Additional Mathematics, Agricultural Science, Biology, Caribbean History, Chemistry, Economics, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, English A, English B, Geography, Human and Social Biology, Information Technology, Integrated Science, Mathematics, Office Administration, Physics, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Social Studies and Spanish.

As was the case in 2014, the two Visual Arts awards are taken by students from Trinidad and Tobago. This time they are both from Bishop Anstey High School. Saegel Bascombe is the winner of the Two-Dimensional award and her classmate Angel Neptune takes the Three-Dimensional award. Saegel’s piece is entitled “Drought” and Angel’s work is called “Fish.”

Shauntelle Edwards of Glenmuir High School, Jamaica, is the winner of the Best Short Story award.

In order to be eligible for the Award for Overall Outstanding Achievement, a candidate must attain Grade I at General or Technical Proficiency, in at least eight subjects, taken at a single sitting. These subjects must include English A, Mathematics or Additional Mathematics and subjects from three other groupings.

The CSEC awardees will be presented with their prizes at a ceremony slated for Thursday, 3 December, at the Best Western Hotel in Belize City. Among the prizes they will receive is an offer of a scholarship from The University of the West Indies, a monetary prize and plaque from CXC and other gifts from sponsors.

The principal of St Joseph Academy will receive the CSEC School of the Year Award on behalf of the school.