Many people assume that skill development is age-sensitive and only applies to those starting their career or looking for promotion. This is not the case. It is always a good idea to nurture your skills relevant to your chosen career – if not just to keep you ahead of the game but also to keep your mind active and sharp.
Roxanne Vantull
But for 46-year-old Roxanne Vantull, she has been keeping her mind active and sharp in order to excel at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).
Vantull, who hails from Linden, revealed that she initially wanted to be in a better position to assist her youngest son to prepare for the 2021 CSEC examinations and, as such, ventured out into writing a few subjects at the CSEC 2020 sitting.
The housewife shared that what started as her trying to help her son became a fight to prove to people that you can achieve anything at any time. She noted that people did not believe that she had a place of excelling at the CSEC examinations.
When asked why she kept going, she said;
I am more than a housewife and a house manager. I deserve to do this for me.
Reflecting on the beginning of her studies, the 46-year-old woman said that she registered for classes and CSEC at the Harmony Secondary School in Linden.
She described the people there as very professional and excellent at what they do. Regrettably, when the coronavirus (COVID-19) hit Guyana’s shores in March, she needed additional classes in order to complete those exams and found Sir Jamain Hatton through his YouTube channel.
At that time, those classes were held from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm, four nights per week via Zoom. Roxanne would complete her motherly tasks before the start of class and then retire to bed immediately after.
She recalls recapping the work from the night before, early the next morning between 4:00 am, and 5:00 am before getting up to make breakfast for her family.
“During the online classes, she was very active and asked lots of questions. This, to any good teacher, is an encouraging thing that signals the learner’s interest and augurs well for their performance,” Sir Hatton said.
Roxanne passed English A and Integrated Science with Grade Ones and Mathematics with a Grade Two. Her advice to persons who are thinking about sitting the CSEC examinations is, “If I can do it, why can’t you?”
She wants to say a special thanks to Abiola Samuels and Olivia Lucius from the Harmony Secondary School and Rhonda Williams. She noted that without them, she could not have been successful.
Roxanne aspires to attend the University of Guyana and read for her Degree in Social Work. She is of the firm view that gone are the days when women should be restricted to housework and encourage anybody with dreams to act on them.
