CXC top scorers honored
They studied hard all last year and today it was their turn to shine and enjoy some well-deserved glory. Belize’s top high school students convened at the Holy Redeemer Parish Hall to congratulate each other, thank their parents and teachers, and hear some words of encouragement from the Minister of Education. Janelle Chanona reports.
Today one hundred and sixty-five young Belizeans were honored for their excellent performance on the 1999 CXCs controlled by the Caribbean Examination Council. The faces in the audience represented schools from all over the country but one Belize City school had the special honor of having not one, but two of its students, place first and second in the country for their grades on the CXCs. That school is Wesley College. The top students are Ronald Heustis and Herschel Armstrong. They got grade one in over seven subjects.
Ronald Heustis, First Place, CXC Examinations
“First I thought they were playing with me cause Herschel called and told me I had placed first and I thought he was joking with me. But then I felt good after that. It took me about fifteen minutes to realize and then I accepted and then I was happy.”
Q: “Herschel, tell me how hard you worked for the CXCs.”
Herschel Armstrong, Second Place, CXC Examinations
“Pretty hard. I took nine subjects, and I took one subject that I didn’t have classes for at school. I was doing extra classes with my mother. And I think I worked very hard studying and it’s important not to work too hard, right. I didn’t work very so hard because I had other stuff in my life too right. I shouldn’t focus just on that cause that will send me crazy.”
Ronald Heustis
“There are numerous people that are quote unquote southside critics. They believe that the southside schools don’t have adequate teachers to educate the students. I believe this is a good example that there are good teachers over there and it’s just that maybe the caliber of students is not as high as the students that try to get into northside schools.”
For Principal of Wesley College, Brenda Armstrong, school pride mingled with motherly affection today. She says the students and teachers have worked hard to make their school one of the best.
Brenda Armstrong, Principal, Wesley College
“If the public would know, Wesley College is one of the top ranking schools in this country. So it is fitting that we are the top awardees this year. We have worked hard, as a school, to build up the standard, to work at the curriculum and the proof is here today.”
Today was also a celebration of the first Belizean recipient of the regional CXC award in Arts and Craft. Elder Jimenez of Sacred Heart College says he did his best and hoped that would be enough.
Elder Jimenez, Recipient, Regional CXC Award
“I submitted a little toy, small toy like half foot long. It’s a small little big truck. I painted it; it’s made of wood… painted it with different designs. It’s almost like based in a low rider style.
I just try to do what I could do and I think Sacred Heart College prepares well for CXC. All of our classes passed all the CXCs with grades one and two. So I think we are well prepared in Sacred Heart College.”
Cordel Hyde, Minister of Education
“You as excellent students cannot rest on your laurels, you cannot only be satisfied with your academic excellence today. You must continue to strive for excellence tomorrow. Lots of people you will meet will seem committed to mediocrity; they will seem satisfied with less than the best. Your challenge is not to ignore them, but try to help to see the folly of their ways. Your challenge is to be your brothers and sisters’ keepers.”
Herschel Armstrong
“Jason (Ronald), Orson, Elrington and I, the three award winners from Wesley College, we offer tutoring classes for high school students right now and so I just like to make that known and we offer classes in the sciences, Mathematics and English. So we want to give back to the community what we have been given already.”
The parents who sat proudly in the audience did not go unnoticed. One student wanted to thank the people who helped him along last year.
Charles Coye, Recipient, Certificate of Excellence
“I’d say my father, he really pushed me to study to go to school everyday. Like even I couldn’t miss it, even when I was sick, and stuff. He’d insist I’d go to school, maybe I’d go to school. My teacher, Mr. Apolonio, he did very well in teaching me. Mr. Rudon, especially my Math teacher Mr. Buhadi, he did pretty good at preparing us for it.”
Cordel Hyde
“Let me also say before I close that I have felt woefully inadequate to shower gifts on you to fit your accomplishments. But as a gesture of appreciation for your fine work and as a symbol of respect, we at the Ministry of Education would like to award each of the top three candidates and our very first regional award winner a computer and a tuition scholarship to the soon to be opened University of Belize.
Congratulations to all of you, your schools, your teachers, your parents, and your supporters. You make us all proud.”
Maria Jorgenson of Corozal Community College made the third highest grades in the CXC examinations for Belize. This ceremony is the sixth of its kind held by the CXC National Committee Belize.
