Kavel and Rebekah tie for third place

QUIET, disciplined students who both have a deep faith in God, characterise the two students who placed third in this year’s SEA examination.

Kavel Pereira and Rebekah Macoon of the Chaguanas Government Primary School passed for Holy Faith Convent, Couva and St Augustine Girls’ High School respectively.

Both 12-year-old girls seemed at a loss for words when asked how they felt about their accomplishment.

Kavel said she was “very excited and overjoyed” while Rebekah could only say she was “happy” to have jointly placed third in the country.

The school took on a festive atmosphere as students and parents lined the school’s open courtyard as Education Minister Anthony Garcia announced the two third-place students.

An overwhelmed Rebekah hardly lifted her eyes to look at the media crews who crowded around her and her parents to ask how she felt.

“Happy,” she said softly.

Then asked whether she had expected to place in the top three, she just smiled shyly before saying “no”.

Asked about her preparations for the examinations, she froze and seemed at a loss for words.

At this point her mother Kaminee Shelly Macoon said while her daughter was a “hard worker” she was also an extremely shy person.

“Ever since in first year she is a child who would come home after school and make sure she gets her homework done before anything else.

“Once you have a very good teacher and you have a student who is willing, anything is possible.”

Asked what advice she would give to other parents, she said: “Always put God first. Nothing is impossible with God in your life.”

Her father Simon Macoon said Rebekah’s placing was as a result of hard work and a strong faith.

“I just want to thank the Lord Jesus for this victory. We were expecting great things, big things, today we see that.”

And what about rewards? He said the family would be going to Disney World. Rebekah hopes to become a teacher.

Meanwhile, Kavel said she had not expected her third-place showing in the examination.

“I feel very excited and overjoyed,” she said.

And regarding her preparations, she said her teachers and parents had spent a “lot of time” with her.

And what was she going to do for the July/ August vacation period?

“Relax,” she said.

Her mother Karen Pereira said she was “excited and shocked” at her daughter’s success.

“I always knew she would do well, but I didn’t know she would do this well.

“Hard work, discipline, and faith in God. She knows what she has to do and she does it.” Kavel has not yet decided on what she wants to do professionally in the future.