Shania: I made her proud

DESPITE her mother not being there to celebrate her success in the SEA, 11-year-old Shania Ramnath feels she made her proud. Her mother Anita Ramnath died in a fire at their Princes Town home on May 14.

Yesterday, Shania a student of the ASJA Primary School in Princes Town, managed to smile when she heard she passed for her first choice of St Joseph’s Convent in San Fernando. Her friends and teachers cheered for her as the announcement was made by principal Nizamma Khann.

Still struggling to some to terms with the tragedy, Shania and her father Shane Ramnath were in a solemn mood when they spoke with Newsday.

“We can never recover from what has happened,” Ramnath said. He thanked the principal and teachers of the school, saying they were always there for his daughter. He said Shania is a strong-willed person and he knows she will excel in life even after experiencing such a loss.

Shania said she is looking forward to going to her new school and intends to focus on her studies.

“I want to do my best to make by teachers and my father proud of me.”

Khann said Ramnath has been a model student. He said her parents were very supportive of her. He said her schoolmates and the teachers were there for her after her mother died.

Out of 59 students writing the SEA at the school, 25 passed for their first choice including Presentation College, San Fernando; St Stephen’s College, Princes Town; Cowen Hamilton Secondary School, near Princes Town; ASJA Boys and ASJA Girls in San Fernando and also Naparima Boys and Naparima Girls High in San Fernando.