Topaz Christie sparkles to emerge Manning’s School’s top girl

WESTERN BUREAU:

Academic excellence is something 16-year-old Topaz Christie places a great deal of value on. Attaining 11 subjects in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams came as no surprise to the top-performing student at the Savanna-la-Mar-based Manning’s School in Westmoreland.

“I feel very happy and relieved,” Topaz told The Gleaner. “I was expecting this outcome, but to finally see the result is a relief. From first form and all the way coming up, I have always done well and have been coming first, and I have also been an honour roll student.”

During this year’s sitting of the CSEC exams, Topaz, a resident of Llandilo, situated on the outskirts of Savanna-la-Mar, attained eight grade-one passes in mathematics, additional mathematics, biology, chemistry, English A, information technology, physics and Spanish. A year earlier, she had grade-one passes in principles of accounts and human and social biology and a grade-two pass in social studies.

Topaz, who has already switched her focus to entering sixth form and adding to her track record of excellence, ultimately plans to attend medical school as her ambition is to become a doctor. She attributes her academic success to God and to her rigorous study habits. According to her, in the lead-up to the recent examinations, she maintained her studies even while being stuck at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in schools being closed in March.

“I always make sure to study everything in the book, and to go through everything the teacher has gone through, and also to go through the Internet, because it gives you more information,” Topaz explained.

“While being at home [due to the pandemic], I just made sure to take studying as seriously as if we had physical school, so there was no slacking off, and I would just do the assignments as they were given,” Topaz added.

Christopher Christie, Topaz’s father, said that her academic success was no surprise to him, given her history of excellence. He noted that parents should give their children the necessary support they need to excel.

“From all the way coming up, she has been an honour roll student, so it was expected that she would do well for the CSEC,” said Christie. “This is a long-time project with her mother and myself, so we are happy. God is good. Kids should, as far as possible, be given a solid foundation.”