Seventeen-year-old Kibileri Williams of Queen's College achieved grade one passes at General Proficiency in Agricultural Science (Double Award), Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English A, English B, French, Geography and Mathematics.
For the second consecutive year a Guyanese student has won the award for the Best Science Student in the Caribbean.
Seventeen-year-old Kibileri Williams of Queen's College achieved grade one passes at General Proficiency in Agricultural Science (Double Award), Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English A, English B, French, Geography and Mathematics.
Williams and Angelina Outar from President's College, who won an award for the best short story, were two of the 107 students from several Caribbean nations who won awards at this year's Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations. According to a report from the Jamaica Observer, St Kitts and Nevis student, Hrishikesh Suhas Joshi, was adjudged the most outstanding student this year. She achieved grade one at General Proficiency in 11 subjects and grade one at one Technical Proficiency subject. Outar was awarded for submitting the best short story based on a postcard showing a male and female relaxing and with the inscription, "Wish you were here! On second thought, we'll call you!"
Chairman of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Keith Hunte, made the announcement on Tuesday at a press conference held at the council's headquarters in Barbados, the Observer said. The students will be presented with their awards when CXC convenes its annual Council Meeting in St Kitts and Nevis on December 5.
Williams' success follows fellow Queen's College student Christine Searwar, who won last year's Science Award. Williams said she was surprised at her achievement: "I screamed... because I didn't expect to do well. I didn't expect to do well in science in the Caribbean... maybe in Guyana, not in the Caribbean."
The product of a single-parent home, while she may be described as scholarly, she says of her achievement, "I think I did good enough for me," explaining that she has always had the support of her mother who would have been satisfied no matter how she had performed. Williams, as part of the awardees prize package has been awarded a scholarship by the University of the West Indies (UWI) at one of its campuses. She will not be taking up the scholarship this year however, since, as she explained, she has taken advice against making such a rash transition from the secondary to the university level. She will instead commence her studies for subjects at the Advanced Level in Physics and Mathematics, and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination Level Chemistry and Bio-logy at Queen's College. Upon completing these, she plans to pursue studies in micro-biology, which she has had an active interest in since the age of eight. As for where she will pursue those studies, she is coy: "Maybe at UWI, maybe in the United States. I am not sure. I have two years to think about it."
The Observer reported Hunte as explaining that "Students could take up the scholarship if they have been accepted by UWI under the lower-level requirements, or can request a deferral for up to three years if they choose to write CAPE and/or A-levels, or pursue an Associate Degree for normal matriculation." The scholarships include full tuition if the recipient elects to take up the award based on CSEC results. If the recipient has been accepted under normal matriculation requirements however, he/she is eligible for full tuition, maintenance and other costs. One hundred and twenty-two thousand, five hundred and sixty candidates sat the examinations this year writing 463,065 subjects.