Females dominate top achievers list at ESHS graduation
Class valedictorian Beyonce Defreitas collects her award during the 2018 Elmore Stoutt High School Graduation ceremony. (Photo By Esther Durand/BVI News)
Female students dominated the list of top achievers graduating from the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) this year.
Four of the five top achievers, who maintained an ‘A’ average every term from Grade 7 to Grade 12, were female.
They were: Class of 2018 valedictorian Beyonce Defreitas, Smeralda Avril, Shamika Langford, and Shanique Sully. The sole male to make the list was Abdiel Mateo.
They were all received ‘exemplary performance’ awards.
A total of 139 students enrolled in Grade 12 this year but only 124 students met graduation requirements. Out of that cohort of graduates, there were 67 honour roll students – 63 receiving honours and five receiving high honours.
Graduates not deterred by hurricanes
While congratulating the graduates, ESHS Principal Sandy Underhill urged them to let the 2017-2018 school year be ‘all the motivation they need to continue on your life’s journey’.
She said, despite the hardships faced as a result of the 2017 hurricanes, the students performed well.
“Class of 2018, you symbolize not only the heart and resilience of our school but strength, determination, and pure will of our Virgin Islands,” she said.
“While our school suffered tremendous loss and devastation from the hurricanes, you did not allow that to deter you.”
Underhill also paid tribute to a former student Shadeka Patrick who died from illness on June 26 of this year.
Underhill bestowed an honorary diploma to her family. Her father George Patrick received it on their behalf.
“Let us remember Shadeka’s zest for life, her artistic gifts and her selfless nature as we move forward to take our places in the world,” Underhill said. “Let her legacy inspire us to be our very best.”
Education Minister Myron Walwyn, who also gave remarks, charged students to assess the needs of the territory and make a difference.
“As you move on to the next phase of your life, I encourage you to think of the contributions that you want to make towards the development of the Virgin Islands and actively work to ensure that they are realised.”
He continued: “Whether those contributions will be in education, construction, financial services, agriculture or health services, the government and the people of this territory are depending on you to leave your fingerprints on the creation of a modern Virgin Islands.”
Premier Dr D Orlando Smith, Opposition leader Andrew Fahie, along with other legislators were present at the ceremony which took place at the H Lavity Stoutt Community College campus in Paraquita Bay on Thursday.
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“we can no longer pass laws to protect locals”
And what does passing laws to protect locals have to do with this article fool??
Waaaaw. You are a high caliber fool. What passing of laws has to do with the children achievements. Please go shake your tail around the block.
But yet everyone was on the Minister case for getting schools reopened early and making the necessary sacrifices. The students and their parents must be so proud that they were successful despite all the obstacles in their way.
I agree with you oh! Real leaders make the hard decisions, Walwyn is a true leader. Congrats to all.
UNICEF applied the pressure that got the ball rolling. Kudos to the Ministry of Education for stepping up to the plate.
The NDP has given out over 1700 new work permits so far this year so now tell me where these kids suppose to find jobs?
The 1700 new work permits are mostly in the construction field and if the new graduates are happy to work long hours for almost minimum wage, they too can enter that industry and in a few years have a trade and start to make a small salary. The issue is, how many of them are ready to start small and work hard in the sun?
These days the sallery is not so small as the demand is high for good workers . A young man or girl can quickly learn the basics and if they buy a few tools instead of flashy clothes and latest electronics they can advance quickly and the wages will go up. All it takes is to be willing to work hard.
Wow does this prove it is 80% better chance of being born smarter with all your brains in one head rather than split between two .
How many scholarships were handed out at eshs graduation?
How. Many scholarships went to private secondaryschools at graduation?
Why are private school graduates discriminated against with scholarship at graduation ?
Can we refer to them as young women or girls instead of ‘females’?
‘Female’ refers simply to gender and not species, whereas calling them ‘girls’ or ‘young women’ centers on their humanity.