From doubts to triumph

With a reputation as a low-performing and violent school in the inner city, Kingston Technical High School was not the first choice for the three top performers it is now toasting for their academic success.

Matthew Loney, the school’s top male Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) performer, admitted that he was still sad after being accepted into the school’s sixth-form programme, having missed the application deadline for his alma mater, the nearby St George’s College.

Describing his upbringing in the Waltham Park Road area of St Andrew as “sheltered”, the 18-year-old stated that he was anxious because of Kingston Technical’s reputation of being violent, but his discomfort was misplaced.

“It was very different. I was shocked that not everyone fought all the time, and some of the students here can do their work, and they do do their work. I met some of the brightest people at Kingston Tech,” he said.

This environment further facilitated Loney’s academic prowess, leading him to achieve passes in five CAPE Unit 1 subjects. The aspiring lawyer scored a Grade I in law, a Grade II in communication studies, and Grade IIIs in sociology, management of business, and entrepreneurship. Grades I to V are considered acceptable for further study at the CAPE level.

On Thursday, Loney was beaming at his accomplishment.

“In the end, I am of the opinion that wherever you go, you will succeed if you put your mind to it,” he told The Gleaner.

This was similar to the advice Latoya Young gave her only child, Rhianna Taylor, when she expressed disappointment at being placed at Kingston Technical.

“I strongly believe wherever you are planted, you should bloom there. It was never about the school or whether or not the academics whatever they offer at the school would have been good enough. It’s what she would need to put in based on what she is given to work with. I am a strong believer in that,” Young told The Gleaner.

The counsel took root as the single mother is now proud of her daughter, who was named the top female Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) performer at the downtown Kingston-based school.

Taylor received Grade Is in English A; family resource management; and food nutrition and health. She got Grade IIs in mathematics; Spanish; textiles, clothing and fashion. She was awarded Grade IIIs in biology and chemistry.

The 17-year-old credits the unwavering support of her mother and teachers for her success.

“My mom and everybody just encouraged me that when I go there, to just focus and do my best, and that’s what I did,” she said.

Taylor is hoping to replicate her performance in sixth form with a dream of becoming an executive chef.

Kelly Williams, the school’s top female performer in CAPE, matriculated to Kingston Technical High School after moving from Trelawny to Spanish Town, St Catherine, to live with her father.

The former Alphansus Davis High School student said she was apprehensive about moving to a new environment and a new school. Her concerns were laid to rest after she got involved in extracurricular activities and bonded with her new schoolmates and teachers.

Now, the soft-spoken Williams is happy she moved and is now relishing her academic achievement.

She obtained a Grade II in tourism management; Grade IIIs in communication studies, Caribbean studies, and law; and Grade V in entrepreneurship and management of business.

“I am very proud of myself,” she said.

She credits her teachers for her achievement but singled out electrical and electronic technology teacher Arthur Pinnock for special mention, noting that he facilitated classes when no other teacher was available.

“Mr Pinnock is, basically, like that ‘every-subject teacher’ because even in law, we didn’t have a teacher for it, so Mr Pinnock, basically, helped us out with IAs,” she said, referring to the internal assessments – or coursework grades – for the exams.

The teacher with 28 years of experience told The Gleaner that his long-standing dedication has been worthwhile.

“I realise that no student – no pickney – nuh really dunce. Dem just need di motivation because dem have it in dem already, so the teachers just have to bring that out,” he said.

Meanwhile, Principal Maulton Campbell is hoping that these high achievers will inspire all their schoolmates.

He noted that the school has been seeing improved performances in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) areas. It achieved an 86 per cent pass rate in English A, 40 per cent in mathematics, 65 per cent in chemistry, 64 per cent in physics, and 79 per cent in biology.

The principal also shared that 75 per cent of students who sat CSEC exams at the school were successful, with 32 per cent achieving five or more subjects, including mathematics and/or English A. Eleven per cent attained five or more CSEC subjects, including English A and mathematics.

One hundred and forty-seven students sat the CSEC exams from a grade 11 cohort of 180 in the last school year.

“It’s going to motivate them, and we’ve already started seeing that other persons want to come into the school because of the skills that we are able to offer now. We are big on STEM. We have been doing very well in terms of assessing the foundation for STEM because we want the students to have high-level skills in the sciences, technology, engineerin,g and maths,” the principal said.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com