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  • 2 years ago

13 students are the recipients of the President's Medal Award for the years 2021 and 2022.


President Christine Kangaloo has urged them to give back to the country, as she says, the country has invested in them.


Alicia Boucher tells us more.
Transcript
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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