TOBAGO-born Christa McClure scored 514 out of a maximum of 523 points to rank 17th in the Guyana National Sixth Assessment and has won a place at Queen’s College. Over 16,000 students wrote the exam, which determines high school placement.
Christa was born in Scarborough, Tobago, and attended Aunt Catherine’s Learning Center and RC Scarborough School before immigrating with her parents to Guyana. She joined Stella Maris Primary School in 2018 as a third grader. Her father, Cordell McClure, told the Express that her transition to Guyana was somewhat challenging.
“When she came, she was behind in all four subjects, especially social studies and science. At the time, she averaged around 87 percent, but we realized how competitive this exam is and knew she needed to get above 95 percent to be able to secure a place at one of the top schools good ones,” he reflected.
For Christa, the transition was complicated because the culture, the people’s accents, and the intensity of the work were different. She recalled challenges with social studies which required her to learn extensive details about Guyana’s geography and culture. “It was a lot of work and I had little time to get ready,” the aspiring lawyer told Express. Christa explained that over two years, she spent many hours every day preparing for the exam. Her preparation included attending lessons after school, working with her grandmother and parents in the evenings and extra lessons on Saturdays.
“Saturday afternoon was my only time off, which I used to catch up on my online games and chat with friends,” said the 11-year-old. A month before the exam, she attended an intensive session with a private tutor and joined the class teacher from 19:00 to 21:00 for extra lessons. “There are many excellent students competing for top spots in this exam; if you want to do well, you have to make an effort,” added her father.
For the exam, Christa scored just over 98 percent, with excellent performances in math and science. This performance earned her a top ten spot in the Georgetown district and the best performance for her school.
Both Christa and her father said they were shocked when the results were announced by the Education Minister during a live broadcast. “We were sitting in my office listening to the announcement of the results, when we heard her name mentioned among the best students. I can’t articulate that feeling, it was extremely emotional,” said her father.
For Christa, it was a surreal moment. “I knew I did well. I was sure I made it to a top school, but I was so nervous while watching. I was stunned, excited and emotional,” she said. Christa remains convinced that she has no intention of straying too far from her roots. She emphasized that after completing her higher education, she intends to return to her native Tobago to contribute to the development of the island.
