All rise for 'Justice' Sy'rai

Here comes the judge.

Just nine-years-old and Sy'rai Joseph already wants to make the world a better place. She wants to be a judge to "put the bad people away."

She already has the smarts, as she demonstrated when she won the Lions' Club/FCB Arima Mental Maths Olympiad III at Arima West Government Primary School, Arima on May 29.

She beat 22 standard three students, including her own classmates of Arima Girls' Government Primary School, after four rounds of questions, quite literally thinking off the top of her head.

Tiny, with big, dark brown eyes, Sy'rai (she made sure I got the spelling right) was glowing after her win, but she was not so confident at the start.

'"I was really anxious at first, but when I made it to the top six, I began to feel confident again. When they called out the third and second place and I didn't hear my name, I thought I did not win anything. But then they called my name and I was...yaaaay!"

While maths may not be everyone's favourite subject, it certainly is Sy'rai's.

She said she has been working with her teacher Nathalie Charles for the past several months to make this possible. Charles said most recess and lunch times were dedicated to maths studies.

Sy'rai said: "I love maths, especially multiplication and division. And I want to go to St Joseph's Convent, Port of Spain, when I write my exam (Secondary Entrance Assessment). I really like Port of Spain. And I want to be a judge so I can put the bad people in jail so it will be a better country."

It seems she is well on her way with the guidance of her teacher. Sy'rai said Charles always encouraged her to ask questions.

"Miss always says we must not be scared to ask a question if we didn't know. She said she will not buff us for that."