St Mary twins strive for more academic success
Published:Monday | July 12, 2021 | 12:08 AMJudana Murphy/Gleaner Writer
Eleven-year-old twins Karrissa and Rennessa Cameron repeatedly amaze their parents with their brilliance.
The two aspiring medical doctors, who recently graduated from Gospel Chapel Preparatory School, are as undeniably carbon copies of their interests and work ethic as they are in appearance.
As they await the results of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exams, they are hoping to land places at the prestigious Immaculate Conception High School or St Mary High School.
Their mother, Ardene Cameron, a nurse at Annotto Bay Hospital, recalled that it was bittersweet when she found out that she was expecting twins.
“I didn’t know how I would manage, but then afterwards I was excited,” Ardene told The Gleaner. But for Olanzer Cameron, their father and dean of discipline at Annotto Bay High School, he was overjoyed and saw the twins as a blessing.
The Camerons have consistently fostered the academic talents of their girls through various means.
“I do a lot of reading with them and I tend to use everything as a teaching experience. If they come to me and ask for a banana, I turn that into a math question,” Mr Cameron said.
“I also play a lot of learning games with them, which allows me to discover their abilities.”
As a motivational strategy, the parents have rewarded the twins with personalised trophies for maintaining averages over 90 per cent.
Their tenacious drive for success landed them honour roll awards as well as other recognition since basic school.
Karrissa and Rennessa have also excelled in the Jamaica Library Service reading competition.
“I feel extremely proud when I attend their prize-giving ceremonies. At the graduation on Wednesday, I made a lot of noise. I feel a sense of accomplishment because they are making use of the money I am investing in them,” the twins’ father remarked.
The couple have begun saving to finance their tertiary education, even though Karrissa is hopeful about securing a scholarship.
“I am very excited about their future because I know that anything they put their mind to, they will achieve it,” said the enthusiastic mother.
Though both students prefer face-to-face instruction, they adjusted seamlessly to online classes.
COMMITMENT AND HARD WORK
Rennessa thanked her teachers for being committed and showing up for online classes daily amid the pandemic.
“I worked hard and I put out my best. I used poems to help me remember things, and research while I studied,” Rennessa, whose favourite subject is science, said.
For Karrissa, being the deputy head girl in grade five was challenging, but she did her best to balance the leadership role with schoolwork.
“My father created a study timetable and we followed it strictly. I also did research and used mnemonics,” she said, adding that she enjoys social studies.
While attending Gospel Chapel Prep, the girls were involved in 4-H Club, art and craft, music and dance.
The young girls are inspired by the work their mother has done in Jamaica’s healthcare system and hope to be part of a medical team in the near future, even as their father sets sights on opening a medical complex.
Meanwhile, their grade-six teacher, Othniel Smith, has no doubt that they will be placed at one of the schools of their choice.
He said the twins’ healthy sense of competition helped propel them to success.
Karrissa graduated with a 94 per cent average and was awarded top-performing female, while Rennessa earned an average of 92 per cent.