‘They are the reason I did so well’

Before checking for her results in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, Ocasia Graham received a call from her parents and they assured her that they would still be proud of her regardless of how she performed.

Although the affirmation eased her anxiety, the Decarteret College, Manchester, student, who is currently on summer holidays in New Jersey, United States, admitted that it also heightened her desire to make her parents proud.

“They work so hard, and they believe in me, and I really just wanted to make them proud,” she said.

Her apprehension about her performance was only momentary as she soon learned that she had scored grade ones in all her nine subject areas.

“I did it to make my parents proud of me!” she said excitedly.

Graham received grade ones in economics, English, Spanish, and mathematics. She also achieved grade ones with distinction in English literature, information technology, principles of accounts, principles of business, and food and nutrition and health.

Both her parents are educators. Her mother, Keisha Graham, teaches family and resource management and food and nutrition at the May Day High School in Manchester; and her father, Sean Graham, is the principal of Maggotty High School in St Elizabeth.

‘SHE GOT ALL ONES’

The 16-year-old, who is the eldest of three children, said her parents’ careers also implanted the expectation that she would do well in her exams, and it was one she wanted to live up to.

“It was a lot of pressure because mummy is a teacher and daddy is a principal, so of course being the daughter of a principal and a teacher who have done so well at dominating where they are, I would have to dominate, too,” Ocasia told The Gleaner.

“Being Mr Graham’s daughter, they’re gonna ask how she did and I wanted them (parents) to just say in one breath ‘she got all ones’.”

Ocasia described her preparation for the exams as “tiresome”, which included many late and sleepless nights studying and working on the School-Based Assessment component of the exams.

Her weekends were also absorbed by subject marathons, and the ardent student said she sought advice from students and teachers on how best to approach the exams for the different subject areas.

But the blueprint for her success, she stated, was the unwavering support of her parents.

“They are definitely the reason I did so well,” she said. “When you have supportive parents to keep you pushing and remind you what your goals are and keep you rooted and focused, I feel like you go far.”

‘A FORCE TO RECKON WITH’

Ecstatic about her daughter’s performance, Mrs Graham lauded her first child’s commitment to her academics. The proud mother is confident that Ocasia’s mindset and overall attitude will indeed take her far.

“She is a force to reckon with. She is very dedicated and she is pretty much intrinsically motivated in the sense that daddy and myself do not have to actually pressure her to do the books. It is more where sometimes we pressure her to get some rest before the examinations,” the overjoyed mother said.

She said her daughter is a role model for her younger siblings who are also excelling academically.

“Anything that she sets her mind towards accomplishing and achieving, I know she is going to do it; I know she will be successful,” she said.

It is Ocasia’s aspiration to become an actuarial scientist, as she views this career as one that offers stability in an ever-changing world.

“AI (artificial intelligence) cannot replace you (an actuarial scientist) because you are very important in predicting uncertain events and helping companies prepare for that,” she said.

In the meantime, Ocasia is busy preparing to enter sixth form at Decarteret College, and is relying on her faith to direct her next steps.

“Where God leads me, I’ll just follow,” the confident, but humble young lady stated.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com