Top three outstanding CSEC performers for SVG named

CSEC top performer credits parents for success

Kyle DaSilva, one of the country’s top performers in this year’s Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations says his parents are responsible for his success.

Kyle, a student of the Mountain View Adventist Academy sat 16 subjects, receiving 15 grade one and one grade two passes.

The 17-year-old Yambou resident secured passes in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Information Technology, Electronic Document Preparation Management, Principles of Business, Office Administration, Spanish, History, Social Studies, Geography, Agriculture, Additional Mathematics, Mathematics, English Language and Human and Social Biology.

“The whole journey through school, my mom and dad would always encourage me because they saw what I was capable of and they would always tell me to never settle for comfort; go out of my comfort zone and try my best always.
“I gave up on some of them (subjects), but my mom and dad kept pushing and I owe them this and that was the reason I was able to write so [many]. I considered giving up some of those subjects coming down to the end, but those words kept me going,” Kyle, the son of Haniff and Ronda Sutherland told SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday.

He added that when he heard he had passed 16 subjects he was in disbelief.

“Honestly, I couldn’t believe because after leaving some of those exams, I wasn’t that confident, but I put in a lot of prayers and a lot of people were praying and I truly believe prayers were answered,” said Kyle who worships at the Yambou Seventh Day Adventist Church.

When asked about the recipe for success, Kyle noted that coming down to the exams, it was gruelling, but the preparation was the hardest part, but he never did anything out of the ordinary.

“A lot of people come home and go straight to books and just start, but I was able to live a pretty normal life where I would relax or watch TV or play cricket till about 6 pm, then from 6 pm to 10 pm I would do work and take 15-minute breaks after every 30 minutes of work,” revealed Kyle.

He added, “That is how I did all the subjects and it wasn’t really that hard.”

Kyle also revealed that his mother was his tutor for Principles of Business, Office Administration and Social Studies.

Now that he has passed that stage in life, Kyle said he wants to pursue studies at the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College’s (SVGCC) Division Arts, Sciences and General Studies Science.

He noted that his SVGCC journey will take him closer to his goal of pursuing studies in medicine, preferably in the areas of cardiology or radiology.
“I would not do this over again. I’m glad it is over, and I can move on,” said Kyle smiling.

Nedd speaks ‘straight 1s’ into existence at CSEC exams

The saying “speaking it into existence” has never been truer for Delaan Nedd than this week, when he learned that he had obtained all grade one passes in the 15 subjects that he sat in this year’s Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).

Nedd is one of the top three CSEC performers in St Vincent and the Grenadines for 2018. And he told SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday that he was relieved that he had done so well.
“It was my goal and I was kind of speaking it into existence,” he said. “I wouldn’t say that I was expecting it because anything could have happened, but I thought that there was a good possibility – after the exams – that I would get all ones.”

Delaan Nedd

Nedd’s grade one passes were in Additional Mathematics, English Language, English Literature, Spanish, French, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Human and Social Biology, Social Studies, Geography, Information Technology, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, Principles of Business and Principles of Accounts.

The New Montrose resident sat General Mathematics in the fourth form and also received a grade one pass, making it a total of 16 grade one passes at the CSEC level.

Nedd, who placed second for boys and sixth overall in the 2013 Common Entrance Examinations, admitted to procrastinating for CSEC, as he started studying only two weeks before exams began.

While he believes that he could have done more in terms of preparation, the son of Dr Conrad Nedd and Kaushalya Weerasena-Nedd said that he worked hard during the school year and revised often.
And he advises anyone sitting the exam in the future to revise during the school term in order to ease the pressure of studying closer to the exams.

“I thank God and my family…especially my mother because that would have been rough if I didn’t have her especially how I waited until the last minute,” the 16-year-old said.

The KCCU scholarship holder told SEARCHLIGHT that he made the decision to give up swimming because it became difficult to complete SBAs and go to classes for the six subjects that he pursued outside of school time.

But he revealed his intentions to resume swimming in the near future.

Nedd also plays the piano and he is a member of the youth group at the Good News Bible Church.

His mother, Kaushalya Nedd told SEARCHLIGHT that the entire family was proud of him.

Alfred John, deputy headmaster of the St Vincent Grammar School also congratulated Nedd on his outstanding performance.

John noted that the Montrose resident was the valedictorian for his graduating class and a past young leader.

“We expected him to do well. He met our expectations and I know he met his own expectations,” the deputy headmaster said. “He has always been a hard worker, he sets his target and he works towards them. I think that he has internal motivation. And even without any spurring from teachers or parents, he would do his work.”

In 2013, Nedd was he set on joining the medical profession as a doctor; a passion that was inspired by his father. Now, he believes that he wants to pursue a career as an engineer.

And come September, he plans to attend at the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College, where he would pursue the Sciences and Math.

GHS student secures 16 subject at CSEC exams

“Self-discipline is the hardest thing, but it is the most rewarding thing ever.”

These are the words of Green Hill resident 16-year-old Sariah Jackson who this year secured passes in 16 subjects in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) as a student of the Girls’ High School (GHS).

Sariah Jackson

“I didn’t watch TV for how much months, slept between four to six hours a day…If I would do it over again? Not too sure but maybe,” Sariah told SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday after learning that she was one of the top local performers at the 2018 CXC/CSEC examinations and the top performer for the GHS.

Sariah, petite and soft spoken said despite the many subjects she sat, she still hasn’t decided on a career path although she wouldn’t mind something in the computer science field.

The dedicated student sat Mathematics in fourth form and gained a grade one pass. Her 16 subjects this year saw her receiving 14 grade ones, one grade two and one grade three.

She had passes in Additional Mathematics, English Language, English Literature, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Information Technology, Spanish, Geography, Music, Theatre Arts, Social Studies, Principles of Business, Economics, Office Administration and Human and Social Biology.

“I didn’t expect it (to be one of the top performers) really because there were a lot of people who did more subjects than me and I thought they would have been the top,” Jackson said smiling.

The daughter of Kendol Jackson and Ertha Samuel-Jackson commented that when she heard her results, she was excited, but her mother seemed happier than she.

“It was hard doing so many subjects just trying to balance out the study time for each subject to get sufficient studying done and still trying to do homework and SBA’s and pre and extracurricular activities like Rangers and piano [lessons],” explained Sariah who studied nine subjects at school and seven outside of school time.

She is hoping to move on to the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College’s Division Arts, Sciences and General Studies Science.