She was going to impact the world - St Hugh's High devastated by loss of honour roll student in house bombing

Fifteen-year-old St Hugh's High School student Tashi Munda had several great moments that highlighted her young life. However, the one that stood out the most for her principal was when Tashi stood tall at her school's last awards ceremony to receive numerous awards and was presented with her certificate summa cum laude (with the highest distinction), becoming a distinguished member of the school's honour roll.

But Tashi will never realise her dream of one day making a significant contribution to society. On Wednesday, the teen succumbed to injuries she received on Sunday when the house she shared with her mother and other family members on Race Course Road in Salisbury Plain, St Andrew, was fire-bombed, allegedly by her stepfather.

She died after spending three days in the Kingston Public Hospital - where she was being treated for severe first-degree burns, leaving her school family devastated.

Tashi's mother and grandmother were also taken to hospital with injuries they received. Her mother received severe burns and was admitted in serious condition.

"It is painful because Tashi was one of our students who I personally expected to impact the world, not just Jamaica, but the world. She had it in her. She was well on her way to achieving great things," a distraught St Hugh's principal, Dr Elaine Cunningham, told The Gleaner yesterday when our news team visited the school.

Cunningham shared that Tashi had been on the honour roll from grade seven. She exemplified modesty and a willingness to do good work and also flourished in several extra-curricular activities.

"She was an active member of the school's cheer-leading squad, and so her squad mates were given space to do their catharsis, and the fourth-formers who are here came in to show their respects also," Cunningham said.

"I am particularly sad because Tashi was a very quiet person. She was well behaved, a diligent student who made the honour roll. Ever since grade seven, she was the top of her grade of 250 girls, and as you can imagine, great things were expected of her. It's a sad loss for this school."

Yesterday, although most students were busily engaged in exams, it was evident that they were dealing with Tashi's death as best as they could. Cunningham said that the school would be looking at how they would honour Tashi's memory.

Form teacher Minneth Reynolds, the former Sunshine Girls head coach, described Tashi as an influential student who would be missed for a long time.

"She knew what she wanted. She was a dedicated student who was doing extremely well before all of this happened. She will be missed in more ways than one," said Reynolds.

"This has devastated the school family," she added as tears welled up in her eyes.

The police are investigating the incident.

paul.clarke@gleanerjm.com