'It was five years of tears and struggles'
Published:Wednesday | August 17, 2011 | 12:00 AM
- Youthlink's Shanna-Kaye Laing bags eight grade ones
Sheena Gayle, Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Eight subjects, eight distinctions and one happy 17-year-old from Montego Bay, St James, whose dream of becoming a pharmacist motivated her to perform well in the 2011 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
Shanna-Kaye Laing, a writer for The Gleaner's Youthlink magazine, says the milestone required hard work and has vowed to maintain excellence in her academic pursuits.
"To be honest, I was surprised with the results when I first saw them," Shanna-Kaye said, candidly.
"I am definitely happy with the results, but I was a bit concerned about my electronic document preparation and management (EDPM) exam. It would have been the only one I'd have got a grade two in. But, thankfully, I scored perfect in all my subjects."
The teen gained distinctions in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, English language, English literature, Spanish and EDPM.
A member of Mount Alvernia High School's Environment Watch Club, as well as the Youthlink team, Shanna-Kaye mentioned that her media experience helped her develop strong work ethics and writing skills that she used in her English-language courses.
While other students organised their timetables, studied tirelessly and surrendered to the pressures of anxiety, Shanna-Kaye had a different approach to schoolwork.
"I don't study a lot, I have a very good memory. Besides, I paid attention in class, read over my notes and asked questions, a lot of questions. If I am not sure about something, I will ask a lot of questions until I am clear," she explained.
Mother's support critical
Shanna-Kaye said her mother, Andrea Rose, played a critical role in her success.
"She really pushes me to get good grades and reminds me that the work world is very competitive so it is very important to stay on top in my academics."
Shanna-Kaye's mother was excited about her daughter's CSEC results.
"I called everyone sometime after 12:30 on Friday morning and woke them out of their sleep to share the good news," she said.
"I feel really good that my sacrifices and hard work have paid off. It was five years of tears and struggles because I am a single mother. I am confident that my daughter will reach her goals because she is determined like I am."
In addition to her eight CSEC subjects, Shanna-Kaye is an award-winning student who maintained a 75 per cent average throughout high school.
Come September, she will attend sixth form at Herbert Morrison Technical High School in Montego Bay, from where she plans to move on to a degree programme in natural sciences.
"I am looking forward to the new beginnings at school and I just want to encourage persons to keep refreshing their (class) notes and not wait until the last minute to study," Shanna-Kaye advised.