Hilarians chalk up successes

ANGELA PIDDUCK

BISHOP Anstey High School (BAHS) (St Hilary’s) Awards Ceremony for 2016-2017, which recently took place at Queen’s Hall, St Ann's produced four National Scholarship winners.

This has been a year of very significant firsts for three former Hilarians. Retired Justice Paula-Mae Weekes will be sworn in as TT’s first female president and head of state in March; Sharon Rowley, wife of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, was the feature speaker at the ceremony; and the new school principal is Joanne Shurland, the second of that clan to be appointed head of BAHS.

Kai Sloane-Seale was awarded an open scholarship in the Mathematics category, with eight grade ones in Unit 1 and 2 applied mathematics, pure mathematics, physics and communication and Caribbean studies in the CAPE Examinations. She was accepted at the University of Toronto before completing her CAPE exams and is now doing a BSC with a double major in criminology and women’s studies.

Referred to as an “astute” student from the moment she entered form one in 2010 from Dunross Preparatory School, Sloane-Seale was considered a model student with regard to her approach to learning. Her mantra: “If you listen to your teachers in class then there would be no need for lessons.”

Sloane-Seale flew to Trinidad the morning of the awards to receive her accolades and returned to Toronto two days later.

“Outstanding young, talented” Jenia Cunningham, recipient of one of the very few open scholarships in creative studies, joined the Hilarian community as a form one student in September 2010, from Mucurapo Girls’ RC School.

She achieved all ones with distinctions in Spanish, French, Caribbean and communication studies, and art and design, placing tenth on the merit list in the CAPE Unit 2 examinations for the two latter subjects.

Apart from academic track record, Cunningham is highly-respected for a long list of non-academic achievements. She is doing a BSc in occupational therapy with a double major in Spanish at St Mary’s University in Wisconsin.

Maya Hinds entered BAHS from Bishop Anstey Junior School in September 2010. Always a diligent student with tremendous potential, she distinguished herself by achieving all ones in the CAPE Unit 1 and Unit 2 examinations in French, Spanish, Geography, communication studies and Caribbean studies, which brought her the coveted open scholarship in foreign languages.

Hinds involved herself in many extra-curricular activities, and is pursuing an International Bachelor of Arts degree at York University in Toronto.

Anastasia Francis received an additional scholarship in the natural sciences category. She attained eight grade ones in the CAPE Examinations (seven with all A profiles) in biology, chemistry, pure mathematics, communication studies and Caribbean Studies.

An independent and meticulous thinker whose comments provided a unique dimension and depth to classroom discussions, the quiet and unassuming student is also described as being tenacious, quirky, highly-motivated and genuinely interested in science.

“The quirky scientist” who entered BAHS from Sacred Heart Girls' RC School in 2010, hopes to further her scientific studies, aid animals and plants and publish novels and poems. She is a student of veterinary medicine at Mt Hope Veterinary School.