By Lakhram Bhagirat
Aaliyah Hundar felt as though life’s only purpose was to knock her down, constantly. For most of her life growing up, she tried to fit in, but instead, she stuck out like a sore thumb. She wanted so badly to feel like herself in a place where she spent most of her days but like most things, that took much longer than she expected.
Aaliyah was and remains a quiet, soft-spoken and timid young lady but her recent success at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations showed that she is more than a force to be reckoned with. Aaliyah breathed a sigh of relief when she discovered that she achieved 16 passes at the CSEC level with 7 Grade Ones, 4 Grade Twos and 5 Grade Threes.
What came as a surprise to her was the fact that she is named Valedictorian of the Camille’s Academy in Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara. Aaliyah is currently on attachment in the Newsroom of Guyana Times as part of Times Media Group’s Work-Study Programme.
Throughout her school life, the 17-year-old had encountered more than her fair share of struggles. At school, she felt that she never belonged and, in fact, wished she was at home playing with her little sister. There have been lots of times when she would be punished by her teachers.
“I hated school and I was easily intimidated by my teachers. There wasn’t a time where I could’ve had a conversation with a teacher without feeling super nervous and tear up. I had a hard time fitting in. However, I did enjoy being at home. I used to play with my little sister every day, we grew up pretty close. We did everything together. We used to go fishing, ride bicycles, catch butterflies, climb fruit trees and make tree houses. I always loved to read. I probably read most of the books that were in my home and school back then.”
After she wrote the National Grade Six Assessment (NSGA), Aaliyah was very disappointed when she got her results. Instead of gaining a place at Diamond Secondary School, she was awarded a spot at Central High School in Georgetown.
Nevertheless, she went to classes there with very little excitement. She described the experience there as a challenging one owing to her timidity. Additionally, she felt as though she was not progressing the way she should have been so when she hit Fourth Form, there was a discussion with her parents.
The discussion was centred around the fact that she felt very unaccomplished and as though she is not prepared to sit CSEC. A decision was made to have her transferred to a private institution so that she could realise her true potential.
Her parents then got her enrolled at Camille’s Institute for Business and Science Studies, which is now called Camille’s Academy. This move meant that Aaliyah would have to repeat Fourth Form, a decision she had no issues with.
“At Camille’s Academy, I was capable of choosing how many subjects I wanted to do and I felt very much myself there. The teachers are so warm and they are really easy to talk to and they are very understanding. The teachers here are so dedicated to their work that most of them studied Human Psychology so that they could help students cope with issues and have knowledge of what’s happening and to give advice and make a better difference in those who were in need of help.
“It’s a safe environment and it really has a positive impact when it comes to learning. I would say that I’m no longer easily intimidated by persons and I am now a better version of myself. I don’t know if I would have been able to be the person I am today if it weren’t for the staff of Camille’s Academy,” she said.
After feeling like she found her place, Aaliyah started to progress academically and then came the decision of how many subjects she was going to attempt at CSEC. At the time of the decision, she was still undecided as it relates to her career choice so she took a gamble and attempted a multitude of subjects.
The gamble was inspired by one of her teachers, Miss Dianna Persaud, whom she had grown close to. Persaud instilled in Aaliyah that she is capable of achieving great success if only she believed that she could have it.
“Preparation for CXC was really challenging as usual. It meant longer hours at school and extra lessons. Some nights, it was impossible to sleep. A lot of anxiety and stress kept building up because I wanted to pass my exams and I wanted to make my parents proud, especially my parents, because they invested a lot in me. The teachers helped me to cope with my anxiety. It got so horrible that I wouldn’t sleep for days.”
The aspiring cardiothoracic surgeon is in the process of deciding her next move. She knows what she wants to do but is still undecided as to where she wants to do it. Currently, she is deciding whether to get her medical education at the University of Guyana’s School of Medicine or the Texila American University.
It is a decision she intends to make with the input from her family.
“My family is really important to me, especially my parents and siblings. They played a major role in my upbringing and they’ve been assisting me and motivating me to succeed at what I was doing ever since I can recall. My family is very supportive and my father even got me a stethoscope to help me achieve my goal.”
