President's Medal winner: ‘Never give up’

HAPPINESS IS: President's Medal scholarship winner Amrita Singh with her mom Maria at their Cunupia home, yesterday.  Photo by Jeff K.Mayers
HAPPINESS IS: President's Medal scholarship winner Amrita Singh with her mom Maria at their Cunupia home, yesterday. Photo by Jeff K.Mayers

NEVER give up, keep trying, believe in yourself and you will achieve great things. This is the advice which 2018 President’s Gold Medal winner Amrita Singh yesterday offered to the nation’s young people. Amrita, 19, was one of two girls to win the top award in this year’s CAPE examinations. Speaking with Newsday at her Savonna Courts home in Chaguanas, Amrita said, “When I first started doing CAPE I was not a stellar top student right off. It took a lot of time and effort to work myself up to such a position.”

Asked about the secret to her success, Amrita replied, “I would say just keep on trying.” She continued, “Sometimes you feel like you’re not doing your best. Sometimes it’s hard and you want to give up. But don’t because you are capable of great things and you have to strive for it.”

Amrita said she never thought she would win this award.“Up to now it feels very surreal. It hasn’t sunk in too much as yet. It’s just very overwhelming. I’m so happy.” Amrita did sociology, tourism and management of business at CAPE. Why this selection? Amrita said, “Mostly passion. I really do like sociology and I think it’s so important in shaping our world. Tourism is an industry I grew up with because my mommy is a travel agent.” She added that “business is everywhere and everything.”

Amrita thanked her parents, teachers and friends for helping her to succeed. “I had such an immense support system.” Her future plans. “Well a CEO position won’t hurt. I’d love to be CEO,” she said with a smile. Amrita said she will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business management at the School of Accounting and Management, plans to work for a while and then pursue her masters. She does not have plans to study overseas. “Not really I’m comfortable here,” Amrita said.

Her mother Maria said, “It’s really overwhelming.” She said she always expected Amrita to do well and win a scholarship. But Maria added winning the President’s Medal was a total surprise.

She attributed Amrita’s success to her persistence and the support she received. “I knew she would do well because she is always so focused,” Maria said as she smiled at her daughter.

Lakshmi Girls Hindu College Sonia Mahase Persad Principal said, “We are elated. We are not exactly surprised.”

Mahase Persad described Amrita as a lovely child who is very hard working. She attributed Amrita’s success in part to the “winning team” at the school and the holistic environment which the school provides to its students. In addition to being an excellent student, Mahase Persad said Amrita is a “well rounded young lady” who is “very much conscious of her community.” She declared, “We are very happy that our expectations, very hard work, all the prayers, all the best wishes all came together in this beautiful fourth President’s Gold Medal won by Amrita Singh.”

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"President’s Medal winner: ‘Never give up’"

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