This year the Portsmouth Secondary School (PSS) celebrated its 40th Graduation Ceremony, bidding farewell to 55 students. Remarkably, Carlisa George captured the awards for Valedictorian and Student of the Year in addition to eight (8) academic awards namely Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Caribbean History, English, Literature, Mathematics and Overall Science.
Upon Interview with Emonews, George expressed, “I feel relieved that after 5 years my efforts have paid off. I had to make a lot of sacrifices in countless areas of my life and so I feel like I can take a deep breath now that I have achieved this milestone.”
Furthermore, she pointed out that the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic posed a challenge during her final two academic years. “Covid-19 was a struggle not just because learning online was foreign to me but I also missed my friends. The teaching pace was faster than I was used to as we were in a rush to complete syllabuses,” she voiced. Nonetheless, George does not consider the bulk of her struggles to be solely due to the ongoing pandemic. She highlighted, “Apart from school, as an adolescent I often found myself trying and failing to maintain good social and emotional balance. I more times than not felt inadequate at most things I attempted.”
Moreover, George added, “Due to CSEC I was in a lot of private classes which left me with little to no free time in my weeks which led to a great deal of fatigue and bad health habits. My friends would also want me to add that time management and punctuality were not my best friends.” Despite these overwhelming challenges, she remained steadfast in her pursuit of success. According to her, all of her many challenges were overcame through prayer. “Honestly, a lot of prayer to God for endurance and just leaning on him every time I felt like I came to the end of my capabilities. Probably not the hack people expect but it’s the only thing I found that really worked for me,” she added.
During her graduation speech last week, she spoke of her high school journey as a drama play with five scenes representing her five years at the Portsmouth Secondary School. “Today we stand as a cast which have endured and conquered it all and are about to take a well-deserved bow as we walk onto the new stages of our lives and new dramas. Indeed, we persevered despite the inevitable. We were knocked down but not out. We lost a few battles but we won the war,” she stated.
As one leg of her education culminates, George extends deepest appreciation to all whom were instrumental in her success. “I like to think of my success as more God than me. My support system has included my family who always make their support to me known as well as the many amazing teachers who coached and taught me. I also thank the close friends who tolerated me and my frequent absenteeism. Lastly, I thank my church family at God’s Family House of Worship,” she expressed.
George is also grateful for the five years spent at PSS as it has proven to be a place where the students were entitled to full creative freedom. As per George, it is through this institution that she has developed a greater appreciation for culture, teamwork, tolerance and hands on skills.
Upon interview with Emonews, father of the esteemed student, Pastor Ehdi George, expressed heartily, “We are really excited about her achievements and overwhelming success as Valedictorian, Student of the Year and recipient of so many subject awards. We have really high expectations of her and believe that she has a really bright and promising future.” He added that Carlisa is a disciplined and diligent child who works hard and stays up all night studying. “As parents we believe in our children and we believe in raising champions. Most importantly what we do as parents is to nurture them in the ways of the Lord,” he ended.
Pointedly, George has continued a trail blazed by her sister, Charissa George, just late last year. In 2021, Charissa obtained the second highest on island in the 2021 CSEC examinations obtaining 11 ones and 2 twos. Just months later, the Portsmouth Secondary School is elated to celebrate the success of yet another George.
In light of this success, George took the opportunity to advise and encourage other students, particularly on maintaining their mental health. “I learned this really late but taking care of your mental health is so important. Work hard but be sensitive to changes in your energy and attitude. Work with your classmates and don’t let pride hinder you from teaching or learning from them. Most importantly cling onto God,” she guided.
Evidently, there is no doubt that future success will unfold. While she has not found her specific niche, she has found a true love for science, particularly physics and literature. In the near future, George hopes to convert her love for writing into publications. Anything is indeed possible.
Emonews bids a warms congratulations to Ms. Carlisa George and wishes her well in all her endeavors.
