Barbados Today

Christ Church Girls School student Tishani Rhianna Jordan expected to be the valedictorian at her school this year, but the 11-year-old got quite the shock Wednesday when she learnt she was the top female student island wide in this year’s Barbados Secondary Schools’ Common Entrance exam, otherwise referred to as the 11-Plus.

The head girl of the Water Street primary school was ushered in the principal’s office by her grandmother Wavney Browne, who is a senior teacher, to be given the news by Browne, her principal Sharon Knight and her mother Tameisha Rochester-Jones.

Completely shocked, the Class 4 student screamed out in joy as her tearful mother smothered in a long hug.

Tishani scored 99 in Mathematics and 100 in English for a total of 243.70, with an ‘A’ in Composition.

Surrounded by overjoyed family members and the excited teachers, the top student said she was ecstatic to be attending her mother’s alma mater Queen’s College in September.

The aspiring neurosurgeon told Barbados TODAY she was proud of her achievements which came with a fair share of sacrifices.

“I was hoping I would be the valedictorian, but I didn’t know I would be the top girl [nationwide] . . . . I am very excited and very happy that I am the top girl in the island and I am very proud, I know I did a lot of work and I had to sacrifice a few things but I am very glad that it all paid off,” she said.

During the second term of the school year, Tishani devoted herself to her studies, giving up her beloved ballroom classes in favour of academic lessons.

Her mother simply could not hold back the tears as she congratulated Tishani on her 11-Plus success. The proud parent had predicted that her daughter’s results would be exceptional given her dedication towards her studies.

“I knew that she was capable of doing it and from the time the exam finished she told me she was going to get a hundred so I just had faith in her and I was just waiting until the results came back . . . . She definitely put in the work, she put in long hours consistently from the time she entered school. She always loved work and she liked to set high targets and high goals. She would not be pleased with herself when she didn’t do as she expected to do,” Rochester-Jones said.

Knight was also full of smiles as she told Barbados TODAY that the teaching staff did not expect anything less from Tishani who gives her all in both academic and extra-curricular activities.

“With Tishani, she always tries for excellence in everything that she does and she is not satisfied until she gets that 100 per cent and I very pleased to know that she has achieved her goal,” the principal said. (KK)