17-y-o Yhannai Ferron gets 61st academic award
Published:Saturday | March 19, 2022 | 12:07 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Black River High School star student Yhannai Ferron picked up her latest award this week with the Canada-based Children of Light outreach ministry presenting her with her 61st academic accolade.
The 17-year-old lower sixth form student was speechless when Children of Light Founding Director Sonya Moulton arrived at the St Elizabeth-based school on Thursday to hand her a plaque highlighting her scholastic efforts and other gifts.
“I feel surprised because I did not know about this event, and I also feel overwhelmed, but I do feel glad about being recognised like this,” she told The Gleaner.
Yhannai, who aspires to become a doctor, previously had her achievements outlined in a Gleaner article last June, including the fact that she copped the school’s prestigious Chairman’s Award while in grade nine.
That article brought Yhannai, a native of Newmarket in the Breadbasket Parish, to the attention of Moulton, herself a former resident of St Elizabeth.
“When I read Yhannai’s story, I knew I needed to come because I have done a lot of work with various students in every capacity. When I saw a high achiever in my parish, I knew I had to come,” said Moulton, who founded the Children of Light ministry in 2011.
“This is an occasion of pride for us all as we gather to celebrate this auspicious day, and I want to thank Black River High School for giving me the opportunity to award the high achiever of this school, Yhannai Ferron. To Yhannai, I am so proud of you for believing and trusting the process, and the best is yet to come,” Moulton added.
Principal Christopher Romans describing Yhannai as a shining example of academic success.
“It is a wonderful feeling ... the kind of feeling that I can extend [on behalf of] my staff, who are ecstatic at the fact that an external partner has seen fit to recognise the efforts of Yhannai, her family, and the school at large in terms of her academic achievement so far. Yhannai has been an ambassador for academic success at Black River High School for a long time,” said Romans.
“The number of accolades she would have received from prize-giving ceremonies and other activities indicate that she is a consistent performer academically, and she is someone who ought to be celebrated. Her family is a proud family, and they have always strived for academic excellence,” added the headmaster.
Yhannai, who did not say much during the ceremony, credited her achievements to the strong support she has received throughout the years.
“The secret of my success would be studying very hard, and the motivation I get from my peers, my parents and my family members,” she said.
Yhannai older sister, Demeica Ferron, is a former Prime Minister’s Award recipient and had attained distinctions in 10 subjects while at Black River High School.