00:00 The 13 awardees of the President's Medal excelled in their areas of academic study
00:06 in the CAPE, CXE and SEA examinations as well as Technical and Vocational Education under
00:11 the National Examination Council.
00:14 The gold medalists are Nail Hussain from Naperimo College and Nikesh Nanku from Lajmi Girls
00:20 Hindu College for CAPE 2021, Saira Mohammed from St. Augustine Girls High School and Makea
00:27 Huggins from Holy Faith Convent, Cuva, CAPE 2022, Neeraj Mahadeo Singh from Presentation
00:34 College San Fernando, CSEC 2021 and Keshma Ramprasad from Naperimo Girls, CSEC 2022,
00:42 Kirsten Ramsaran from Rusala Presbyterian Primary, SEA 2021 and Anushka Singh from Gandhi
00:49 Memorial, SEA 2022, Sarah Khan from MIC Institute of Technology Pleasantville Centre, NEC 2021
00:59 and Lisa Allen Agostini from MIC Institute of Technology Degel Martin Centre, 2022.
01:06 There was a tie for silver in SEA 2021 between Chyam McIntosh of Cura Presbyterian and Vinita
01:12 Katamangi from Maria Regina Private School, Christopher Akau from Avocat Vedic Primary
01:19 got silver for SEA 2022.
01:23 President Christine Kangaloo expressed excitement to be awarding young people for their hard
01:27 work and she said she's happy to see that TechVox has been included since 2020.
01:33 She calls the recipients wise investors as she stated that they would have stayed the
01:37 course amid learning challenges that came along in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic
01:42 which she noted also forced teachers to stretch themselves thin.
01:47 But President Kangaloo emphasizes that educational programs must do more than to teach children
01:54 how to perform at academics as she believes they should build character and instill societal
02:00 values.
02:01 Teachers however cannot do it alone.
02:04 The encouragement, support and presence of parents are sorely needed.
02:10 Parents of Trinidad and Tobago, I use this opportunity to encourage you to immerse yourselves
02:16 in your child's education, ensure that they do their classwork and homework, attend parent
02:23 teacher meetings, engage and collaborate with their teachers to ensure that your child has
02:29 everything he or she needs to achieve his or her fullest potential.
02:35 President Kangaloo told the scholars that apart from their investments, the country
02:39 had also made an investment in them.
02:41 She gave them this message.
02:44 I encourage you to remember this and to give back to your country whenever the opportunity
02:50 arises.
02:51 Some of you have already begun to do so.
02:54 I was pleased to see one of you giving back to your secondary school as a temporary teacher.
03:00 Whatever the means by which you do it, I urge you always to ask yourselves how best you
03:06 can contribute to the upliftment of others in your community and country.
03:11 Micaia Huggins thanks God, her family and her pastor for the success she has had.
03:17 I have such a privilege to have such a mentor, such a spiritual leader.
03:21 It's been truly great for me.
03:24 She was in fact a very, very big part of that journey for you and what you are attributing
03:29 your success to.
03:31 The most important part.
03:33 Yes, definitely.
03:36 She plans to pursue environmental studies and sustainable development in the UK soon.
03:41 Saira Mohammed told us the medal wasn't part of the plan.
03:45 I just worked hard and this is what came out of it.
03:48 And since then, what have you been doing?
03:51 So I currently attend medical school at St George's University in Grenada.
03:56 So I'm doing my studies in medicine and hope to specialize in that field.
03:59 Meanwhile, Anushka Singh told us the experience was surreal and exciting as she credited her
04:04 teachers and even her peers for pushing her.
04:08 And what about at home?
04:09 At home, my parents and siblings, they were all very, very supportive.
04:14 My sister, she also attended SAG, so she was also an inspiration to me and she would always
04:20 help me out whenever I had difficulty with anything.
04:23 Nail Hussain told us the feeling of finally getting the medal is still sinking in.
04:29 But he too is thanking his family for their tremendous support.
04:32 He plans to return to this country after finishing medical studies in the United States to give
04:37 back, just as President Kangaloo said.
04:40 As for his advice to boys and young men?
04:43 The best advice is to always believe in yourself.
04:46 I always doubted myself.
04:50 I never in a million years would have guessed I would have won something like this.
04:53 So I think believing in yourself is key to success.
04:56 But surely while you were doubting yourself, you were putting in work.
04:59 Definitely.
05:00 There were lots of sleepless nights and I think it pays off in the end.
05:06 Author Lisa Allen Agostini pursued dressmaking and design in 2022 and she has returned to
05:13 MIC to study tailoring.
05:15 The recognition of crafts and our technical and vocational programs, we need more than
05:25 this.
05:27 This helps me.
05:28 You know what will help all the students?
05:31 Soap in the bathrooms.
05:33 We're underfunded.
05:35 We're under-resourced.
05:36 Right?
05:37 MIC needs an infusion of real government investment.
05:42 [laughter]
05:44 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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