The only thing that stands between you and what you want in life is the will to pursue it and the faith to believe that it is possible.
Junior Subhan
However, 22-year-old Junior Subhan has a story to tell of how he earned his Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) passes in the face of tremendous adversities.
Subhan, also known as Amit, recalls many days of laughing and talking with friends who were unaware of how impecunious and famished he was in several classes.
The young man revealed that after failing the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), he dropped out of school in form one. He said this was necessary to work and assist his mother, who was ill, but subsequently died.
Following her passing, he continued working and finally gave himself a second chance at life and enrolled at the Institute of Business Education (IBE) at 19-year-old with the support of his aunt – Nesha Ferreira.
Despite her support for transport and tuition fees, Junior later realised that he still came up short on many days with little to eat and increasing expenses in the likeness of school materials. This prompted him to seek employment at a nearby mechanic shop where he was grateful to work whenever needed.
He would occasionally work on weekends or miss a few days of school when necessary to buy textbooks or rations for the week. Sometimes even that was not enough, and Junior found himself walking to and from school on many days.
Despite what he was going through, his determination was more potent than his circumstances, and he made use of the time he had and was often seen studying quietly in school.
His advice to people who are in a similar situation as he was in is to;
Not to give up, no matter how hard it gets, try harder. The feeling you get at the end of the journey is worth all the pains during the process.
Junior earned a Grade one pass in Principles of Accounts, six Grade 2s, and three Grade 3s and eventually wants to become an entrepreneur. The mechanic is currently working to save enough money to start studying with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
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- Junior at his part-time mechanic job
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- Junior studying in school
He dedicated his passes to his aunt Nesha Ferreira and thanked her for giving him a second chance at life.
