Leguan teen is first in his family to excel at CSEC exams

Mohendra Rambajue, 16, who lives at the Uniform Village on the island of Leguan, is the first person in his family to excel at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. 

And he did so in hopes of one day becoming a lawyer or a software engineer. 

Rambajue attended the Leguan Secondary School and copped six Grade One passes, five Grade Two passes and a Grade Three pass at the May/June sitting of the examination this year. One has one ungraded subject but is rectifying that score. 

Though pursuing 13 subjects at the CSEC level is no easy feat, Rambajue’s journey was a bit more complicated- literally! 

He spent hours travelling to Georgetown to sit his Electronic Document Preparation Management (EDPM) examination before returning home for another exam. This subject was not offered at the school.

The Leguan student said he was, however, determined to get good results. That’s also why he started preparing for the examinations in Form Three, two years before he actually wrote his 12 subjects. 

“I decided to focus on my academic life mostly because I grow up on a small island and there (are) not much job opportunities. The only thing is like farming and this is not too great work and I don’t see myself going into the backdam doing farming.

“Without education I can do none of these things so that pushed me. Right now I am abroad exploring my options. I am thinking about going into a university to get my Bachelor’s Degree,” Rambajue told the News Room during an interview on Friday.

He also emphasised that his parents, Mahendra Rambajue, 49, a farmer and Youmattie Shewpersaud, 39, a housewife, supported him because they believed he could excel. 

According to Rambajue, his family understands that he has big dreams that require him to leave his home in pursuit of them. Even so, they are all aware that he may need to consider working, at least part-time, to help fund his endeavours.  

Rambajue’s mother told the News Room that her son’s achievement is even more special for the family since he is now the first one to excel at the CSEC examinations. 

According to her, neither parent was able to sit the examination and Rambajue’s two older brothers also did not perform as well. 

“I told him if you know you can make it I will give you all my support and I’m so proud that he make it to that level and I’m contented,” the woman said.

The teen who has placed all his focus on his studies advises students who will sit the exam in the future to start their preparations early.