Sky Cato was aiming high for Sugar Mill Academy in CPEA (+Video)

Vincentian/Jamaican, Sky Angelena Cato of the Sugar Mill Academy says hard work, practising on past examination papers, and a strong support system are very important for students setting the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA).

Sky, and Gabriella Tiffany DeFreitas of the Colonaire Government School tied for eighth place overall and first for girls in this year’s CPEA.

The top student who moved to St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) from Jamaica a year ago with her parents Jomo and Nateline Cato, told SEARCHLIGHT on Tuesday that she is proud of her accomplishment.

“It makes me feel very good. I’m very happy that I was able to succeed at something like that,” Sky said, adding that being in the top ten was a goal she wanted to achieve.

“I was at home when I learnt my position and I was very happy. I couldn’t believe it.

“It was very stressful (leading up to the exams) and I did a lot of past papers, and I put a lot of work into it,” she told SEARCHLIGHT. Sky shared that Science is her favourite subject as she likes experimenting, and Social Studies is her least favourite as “you can’t work out your answers as you would in Mathematics … you have to know it and memorize it,” the lass who hopes to move on to the Girls’ High School (GHS) said.

“Work hard and study hard … stay determined and be confident in yourself and don’t take past papers for granted,” is her advice to students who want to do well in the CPEA. She also said that extra lessons helped her.

Sky pointed to her support network of teachers, family and friends as also being instrumental to her success.

“…Without them I would not have been able to do it,” the aspiring actor and Developmental Psychologist commented.

She said she likes children “a lot” and is very interested in Developmental or Child Psychology.

Commenting on her move to SVG from Jamaica, Sky said the educational environment in Jamaica is bigger and “sometimes a little bit more competitive”.

“The system of teaching is not much different, but in Jamaica they have religious education and I was kind of surprised they did not have it here because the children don’t know much about other religions,” the middle child in the three children household commented.

Sky also likes to sing and dance and has tried different sports, stressing that extra-curricular activities are important.