Sat had faith in Celine

TYRELL GITTENS

Late secretary general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, Satnaryan Maharaj, predicted that one of the top students would bring glory to the Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College as a winner of the 2019 President’s medal.

This came through on Monday with the announcement that Celine Roodal of Kelly Village made it five in a row for the college. According to Maharaj's son, Vijay, Maharaj met Roodal at the school’s graduation ceremony on November 7, the same day he suffered a stroke and had to be warded at the Medical Associates Hospital in St Joseph.

Recalling the moments of that meeting, Vijay told Newsday on Monday, “He (Sat) met the young lady at the graduation of Lakshmi Girls' two Thursdays ago (November 7), and he said to everyone that he believed that the young lady would win.

"He hugged her as his own daughter and so forth, not only because he thought she was going to win the President’s Medal, but because of what she had succeeded in, in the past, going to the Maths Olympiad and representing TT."

Roodal and a contingent of TT students travelled to Bath, London from July 11 to 22 to take part in the 60th anniversary of the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). The IMO is one of the most prestigious Olympiads worldwide and is an annual competition which started in 1959. Today, over 100 countries participate by sending its best six mathematical minds, chosen after a series of rigorous testing and elimination rounds.

Vijay said, "We had talked about her many times because of her mathematics stature. She was phenomal in mathematics, add maths and physics."

Asked about Maharaj's prediction that she would win, Roodal told Newsday on Monday, "It is very inspiring to know that a person of his calibre had faith in me, and I am glad that I lived up to his hopes. I am very honoured to continue his legacy. He has done a lot and I feel proud to continue it."

Maharaj was generally confident in the school's ability to produce a fifth consecutive winner Vijay said. "He mentioned it in one of his speeches, many weeks ago, that Lakshmi girls was going to win a fifth."

President's Medal winners for the school over the years were Amrita Singh (2018), Veshala Goon (2017), Priya Maraj (2016) and Shivrani Prabhudial (2015).

Vijay said the President's Medal win continues his father's legacy and that Maharaj would have been proud. "We are very elated, Vijay said, “He looked out for her winning the President's medal, he looked forward to it.”

Following the announcement of her achievement, Roodal said, "I am very estatic about my win but also a little shocked."

She added, "I was working towards it but I wasn't sure if I can actually achieve it."

For now, Roodal said she will be taking a "gap year" and hopes to pursue studies in engineering at a Canadian university next year.

Her advice to fellow students, "A president's medal is very much attainable once you work hard and manage time."

Asked what her plans were to celebrate the win Roodal said, "I'm not entirely sure but my family may be going out for dinner."

Roodal's win came a day before Tuesday’s funeral for the late Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha secretary general .

While the Maha Sabha prepares for Maharaj's funeral to be held on Tuesday, Vijay said the organisation would release a statement on the President's Medal win for the Lakshmi Hindu College on Wednesday.