Shaneka O'connor: 'I've made my parents proud'

Seventeen-year-old Shaneka O'Connor could hardly find words to phrase how surprised she was when she got her CSEC examination results. So, too, was Nicole Simpson, her big sister. Shaneka, a former Jonathan Grant High student, got eight credits and a pass in the recent CSEC examinations. She said that mathematics slipped away from her, but not for very long as she plans on re-tackling the subject soon.

"Although I didn't manage to get mathematics, I still feel good about what I've accomplished," said O'Connor. "I'm happy that I've made my parents proud, because that has always been my prayer, and I'm glad that the Lord has answered that one for me."

Simpson said she was proud of her little sister who has worked hard to achieve academic success, and believes that there is more to come. O'Connor is aspiring towards a career in the field of chartered accounting.

Mortilaine Riley: 'Making oneself marketable'

At age 17, Mortilaine Riley, former student of Jonathan Grant High School in St. Catherine, sees making oneself marketable as a major piece of the puzzle of success.

This explains her mixture of business and the arts in the recent Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate exams, where she was awarded eight distinctions (English A, English B, office administration, principles of business, principles of accounts, information technology, social studies, religious education) and two credits (mathematics and biology).

"I love writing a lot. I'm into novels and journalistic writing, but I also love business as well, so I chose subjects from both the arts and business so I would have a wider area to select from where a career is concerned. It makes me marketable and it also provides a back-up plan in case I fall down in one area," Riley said.

As for her initial reaction to her results, it was all smiles and tears. Whoever said grown men do not cry is yet to meet Riley's dad. She said he was watery-eyed when he saw her results slip.

"My daddy got a bit emotional on me when we collected the results at the school. He cried in front of everybody, especially when he heard the teachers congratulating me. My mother was also ecstatic," she said.

Riley is currently a sixth-form student at St. Jago High School.

Lauren Ramgolam: 'I just broke down in tears'

Nadine Ramgolam is not afraid to shed her tears, especially when they are tears of joy over her daughter's exceptional performance in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. Sixteen-year-old Lauren Ramgolam got six distinctions (mathematics, English A, English B, information technology, Spanish, French), two credits (biology, chemistry) and a pass (physics) in her CSEC exams.

"I was so happy, I cried. I just broke down in tears," said Nadine. "She wasn't really sure about the sciences because she is primarily a language person."

Nadine said her daughter is still enrolled at Immaculate Conception High School, beginning sixth form. Lauren hopes to pursue a law or an international relations degree in the future.