A bumper crop of students excelled at the CXC and CAPE examinations this year, and today they were all honored. The St. John's College gym was overrun with students and parents who gathered at the awards ceremony to honor excellence. Alfonso Noble found out what's inside the working of Belize's best young minds.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
Almost six hundred students from across the country took center stage this morning at the St. John's College gym to accept praises and accolades, plaques and certificates in recognition of their achievement in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examinations (CXC). Shining brightest were Lowell Navarro and Jesscia Chee. While Chee says it was a breeze, Navarro says it took some work.
Lowell Navarro, 9 CXC Passes
"It didn't come easy. Many nights we stayed up past midnight trying to study for the exams. At the end it seems that it paid off."
Jessica Chee, 9 CXC Passes
"The preparation really was for third and fourth form. In all honesty the only CXC that I prepared for on my own was social studies which didn't demand that much. Everything else was just 'night before' review for the exam."
Alfonso Noble,
What possesses you to take ten CXCs at this level?
Lowell Navarro,
"Well I think it was mostly due to pressure but we managed to do them, like some people took 12, they managed more. We did ten because we felt prepared for that."
Jessica Chee,
"In reality it's not really that much. One subject was human and social biology which is a branch of biology. I took social studies which wasn't much of a challenge to me and I had the other A as part of my curriculum at Saint Catherine."
Alfonso Noble,
What would be your advice to people taking the CXC the coming year?
Lowell Navarro,
"Well to study for one, always study, read ahead, and it's really good to read any material on your own. Just ready any book, have fun with books. I personally enjoy books."
Jessica Chee,
"Don't be intimidated, don't be afraid, just step up to bat."
Lowell Navarro,
"I plan to continue my studies here in the junior college, here at St. John's, and after I'm finished with that I hope to do well on the CAPE in two years. Beyond that I plan to go abroad to continue and I don't know how far I'll reach but I plan to reach as far as my PhD."
Jessica Chee,
"My target is to finish at sixth form and hopefully get a scholarship outside to go away to the States or maybe UWI, we'll see."
From the way these two performed, we are sure to see. But for now it was about what they and the hundreds of other students accomplished - and they didn't do it alone as the SJC gym was packed to capacity with hundreds of parents who made excellence a team effort.
For their excellent achievement both Lowell Navarro, who obtained 9 grade 1 passes in subjects at general proficiency and a grade two in chemistry, as well as Jessica Chee who got 9 grade 1 passes in subjects at general proficiency level and a grade three in chemistry were awarded full scholarships at the sixth form level and laptop computers.
