Shamitha Pulikanti continues a tradition of excellence

Shamitha Pulikanti's successful copping of 11 grade ones during the recent sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations is only the latest example of excellence in her family, as her sister achieved a similar feat in 2009, and her parents are both medical doctors.

Seventeen-year-old Shamitha, who is currently a first-year student of the Montego Bay Community College (MBCC), was a student at the Montego Bay High School when she sat examinations in mathematics, additional mathematics, biology, chemistry, English language, English literature, food and nutrition, information technology, physics, principles of accounts and Spanish.

Her successful sitting of all 11 subjects follows in the footsteps of her older sister, Thejasree Pulikanti, who also attended Montego Bay High School and passed 11 CSEC subjects in 2009.

"It was all about time management, so I made sure that I set aside a time where I had to study," Shamitha said of her study habits prior to her exams. "There were a lot of times when I just wanted to watch TV, but I had to focus on my studies. I was shooting for the Grade ones, so I had to work for the ones. I was also a tennis club member and a Key Club member, so I had to balance everything."

Fortunately, Shamitha received a great deal of support from her parents, Drs Rajachanda and Radhika Pulikanti, who were on hand to assist whenever she had difficulty in her studies.

VERY ACCOMMODATING

"My parents would help me if I had a problem with anything. I could go to them and ask them and they would explain it to me," said Shamitha. "They were always very accommodating for me; anytime I needed a book, they would buy it for me."

Currently, Shamitha is pursuing MBCC's pre-university science programme, as her sister Thejasree did before her, and plans to enter the medical field as her parents have done.

"I would like to go into the field of medicine. My parents are doctors too, so maybe I will become a doctor or a research scientist," said Shamitha. "I would maybe pursue neurology, because how the brain works is very fascinating to me. The brain is the controller of the entire body, and it just has so many different aspects to it."