For most students, sitting the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations is a challenge in itself. But Anna Regina Secondary student Shreya Ramnarine took that challenge to another level, writing 30 subjects and earning 23 Grade Ones, six Grade Twos and one Grade Three.

For Ramnarine, the achievement was both exciting and overwhelming as she tried to process the significance of her results.
“Well, at that moment, I would say it was very hard to register because it was big news at the time.

I knew it was good. I knew it was positive. I felt great about it, but at the same time it was still a lot to process as well,” she said.

Ramnarine said writing 30 subjects was a deliberate decision, driven by her desire to challenge herself while pursuing subjects that interested her.

“I chose to write the subjects because I wanted to give myself a challenge. And, you know, I found different subjects interesting and I decided to give them a go,” she explained.

Taking on such a demanding workload required more than academic preparation. Ramnarine credited her parents, teachers, friends and wider community for helping her remain motivated throughout the examination period.

“My support system has been very vast and I would like to thank each and every one of them. Most importantly, my biggest thanks is given to God. Without the blessing of God, I would not be here. I would not have been able to receive these news,” she said.

Her mother, in particular, provided support during long nights of studying and preparation.
“She usually tries to stay up with me for most of the time that I studied, which would be like throughout the entire night, throughout the morning to the exam,” Ramnarine recalled.

Despite her outstanding performance, Ramnarine advised students preparing for next year’s CSEC examinations not to focus solely on the number of subjects they can take. Instead, she encouraged them to understand their strengths and weaknesses, set realistic goals and avoid burnout.

“The biggest advice that I could give to those students is to take a moment to self-reflect on your abilities. You have to know your abilities and what exactly it is that you want to achieve. I knew I had the ability to be able to push toward the subjects and pass them. So I think as a student, you need to look at your own abilities and what you want to achieve,” she said.

With her CSEC achievement behind her, Ramnarine is now setting her sights on the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), with hopes of pursuing a career in law.

Her interest in law developed through her experiences in public speaking and debating, where she discovered a passion for using her voice to advocate for others.

“I would like to use my voice to do something good, to help the people and to give a voice to those that cannot be heard,” she said.