Saiesh's new world

Things have been “kinda uncomfortable” for 11-year-old Saiesh Rampersad since he was thrust into the spotlight when he was announced as the top Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) examination student in the country in July.

Rampersad scored 100 per cent in the exam, and passed for his first choice, Presentation College, Chaguanas. When the results were released, he explained that when his name was called as the top student he thought they made a mistake.

“I didn’t expect to come first place, but I studied hard and prayed. It was a long journey but it got easier and easier. I did my school work and did extra lessons after school.”

Since then he has done a number of media interviews, and strangers approached him in public, or called him a superstar. “Some people treat me a little different. When we go out anywhere people always notice me and come and talk to me.” He said the attention was “pretty okay” and that he was working on not being so shy.

On Wednesday, he attended orientation at Presentation College and received his timetable and a tour of the school. When asked what he liked about the school he said, “It has air conditioning.” The science labs also appealed to him as he wants to be a doctor one day.

He said no one else from his primary school, Gandhi Memorial Vedic School, passed for Presentation so he was looking forward to making new friends and learning new things since the subjects taught at Presentation were different from those he was accustomed.

He was also pleased that none of the students seemed to recognise him at the orientation.

Rampersad said he loves to read and play games on his phone. He also attends the Shri Adesh Ashram in Aranguez where he is learning to play the tabla, for which he got an A+ in his second year exam, and does vocal training. He said he also plays the piano at Warrel’s School of Music, and this year he planned to join the chess club at his new school. He added that he used to do karate and play cricket but he fractured his shoulder in standard four and had to stop both. After that he did not want to play again.

For his vacation, he went to Mexico with his parents.

“It was really fun. I think they planned that before the results. We mostly went to water parks and ziplining.”

After two weeks in Mexico he returned home to SEA gifts which included a new cellphone and a puppy. Since he loves reading he read a lot of non-school books, saw a movie in 4D, played a lot of games on his new phone.

He said it was all very fun and relaxing, and he was now ready for secondary school.