Students honoured for CXC excellence
It is the last standardised test that Caribbean high school students get to take. Ann-Marie was on hand today as Belize’s top scorers received some public recognition.
Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting
Two hundred and forty-three Belizean students, who last year sat the Caribbean Examinations Council exams, CXC, today received certificates of excellence, which means they all attained six or more general or technical proficiency passes including English.
Thirty-three students were also recognised for gaining the highest score for their institution. However, the greatest CXC prize at the local level went to Kimberley Haughton a former St. Catherine’s Academy student who passed all nine general proficiency subjects with a 1 and placed first overall.
Subject areas are: English, Math, Computer, Literature, Spanish, History, Geography, Science and Social Studies.
Kimberley Haughton, First Overall in CXC
“Well I thought I did well on all of them except about three, so I was kind of surprised when I got 1’s in those that I wasn’t expecting them in.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“How was it overall in terms of your preparation. Was it arduous?”
Kimberley Haughton
“I worked very hard fourth form, and I think that paid off with the CXC in the end. I was able to do that without too much stress because I was well prepared.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“A day like today highlights students, who’ve been quietly doing their work, and achieving excellence. Usually when you turn on the television, you hear about students killing each other or doing less than reputable things. Is there a special meaning in today for you?”
Kimberley Haughton
“Yes. Today is important, you recognise the students who worked hard and have done well and like you said, it’s true, it like putting a positive face to viewers and that good, inspiration that people do work hard and you do succeed.”
Javize McGann formerly of Belmopan Comprehensive School, now a student of SJC Jr. College, placed second with nine passes: five 1’s and four 2’s. McGann says the results were a surprise to her.
Javize McGann, Second Overall in CXC
“I wasn’t sure how well I would do. I wasn’t even sure I would pass all nine because for some of them like physics, I wasn’t sure I did well in physics because it was a tough subject for me.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“How surprising was it when you heard that you scored the highest for your school and second overall?”
Javize McGann
“Very surprising. I did not expect it at all.”
Javize wasn’t the only one who was proud today. Her mother, Margaret journeyed from Belmopan to share the moment.
Margaret McGann, Javize’s Mother
“I think she worked hard and I’m happy for her. I’m happy for the family because she’s the oldest of five children and I’m happy of the example she has set for the others. They have her footsteps to follow and I’m thankful to God for that.”
Jovany Rowley of Orange Walk Technical High attained excellence for six passes. Although he’s enrolled in U.B.’s associate programme, Medical Laboratory Technology, he still remembers that CXC was difficult.
Jovany Rowley, Certificate of Excellence
“We had many extra classes, we had to go late hours until the evening and also go to classes on the weekends. You also had to do your own personal studying, so it was really difficult.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“But it all paid off.”
Jovany Rowley
“Yeah. It all paid off.””
Studying also paid off big time for Khalila Enriquez too formerly of Belmopan Comprehensive School.
Khalila Enriquez, Certificate of Excellence
“CXC was a hassle, especially the School Based Assessments. It was really a hassle having to stay up late, have to prepare a lot to do well in the CXC, but as you can see, it pays off in the end.”
Carroll Claude Waite Jr. of Wesley College is no exception; he attained six passes.
Carroll Claude Waite, Certificate of Excellence
“You have to do that every night, even if it’s just a little bit, to read over and refresh your memory from when you went in and did in class that day. I was doing that a lot to get these passes.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“And when you want to give up?”
Carroll Claude Waite
“Just think about your future, because knowledge is future, not just power.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“I’m sure you have different people that you’d like to thank who helped you along.”
Carroll Claude Waite
“There are two main people that have been in my life throughout my life at Wesley College, my mother and my principal Mrs. Brenda Armstrong.”
The proud mother is well known City Councillor Lillette Barkley-Waite.
Lillette Barkley-Waite, Mother of Carroll
“Very, very proud moment like you said and especially because bringing up my son as a single parent has been very hard. He lost his father at the age of nine and they were very close. Consequently he’s had to overcome a lot of hurdles and moving back to Belize at age twelve, which was a foreign country to him, he has come a long way, so I’m extremely proud.”
Barkley-Waite says feeling extremely proud is not a science, it can happen to any parent.
Lillett Barkley-Waite
“You have to take part in their lives, you have to be present, know what they’re doing, know where they are, attend their functions, and these are things that I have tried to do and maintain over the years, in addition to whatever else I’m doing.”
Ann-Marie Williams for News 5.
Both Kimberley Haughton and Javize McGann received a personal computer from the Ministry of Education and a Bachelor’s Degree scholarship tenable at the University of Belize.
