Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
While others buried themselves in books, scholarship winner Ricardo Jhilmit spent his afternoons immersed in football. Yet, when the results came in, Jhilmit delivered what his parents had hoped for—an Additional Scholarship in Creative Arts. Jhilmit transferred from Naparima College in San Fernando to Shiva Boys’ Hindu College because it was closer to his Penal Rock Road home.
“It was the best decision I made because when I was attending Naps, I would wake up at 5 am and get home after 6 pm, so I had less time to study. Going to Shiva meant I was home much earlier, so every day I would use the extra time to play football and badminton,” he said.
Teachers at Shiva Boys were supportive and never minded correcting additional work, he said
“You could call them at any hour, and they were always willing to give extra help. Shiva Boys’ teachers were way more understanding and friendlier. You could go to them with any concern, whether or not it was school-related. I never had to do any lessons,” he said.
Jhilmit expressed gratitude to his PE teacher Sheldon Maharaj, form teacher Riana Ramjugsingh, Caribbean Studies teacher Jason Sammy, Chemistry teacher Tinisse Mahabir, and principal Dexter Sakal for motivating him.
Although he was a devout Seventh-Day Adventist at a Hindu school, Jhilmit said he was treated like family.
Describing himself as a “last-minute bloomer,” he said, “When I go into study mode, nobody would see me. I would stay in my room and come out only to eat,” he said.
His parents, Anil and Sandy, admitted they were concerned that he was not giving enough time to his studies but instead of pressuring him to abandon his extracurricular activities, they chose to support his passion for football, trusting that he would study hard closer to his exams.
Anil said he organised weekend road trips for the family so that Jhilmit and his six-year-old sister Isabella would have balance and fun in their childhood.
He said as a teacher at Barrackpore West Secondary, he knew from his son’s CSEC results that he could get the job done but revealed that he “could not help worrying as a teacher.”
He explained, “Anything outside of the classroom was welcomed because I knew the importance of that. As a father, I used to make sure their mental health was balanced. We went to nature sites and sporting activities. We played football together with other villagers. We would drop him at the mall to be with his friends and pick him up. We offered him recreational opportunities because our method was never books alone.”
Jhilmit is now studying law at the University of the West Indies and hopes to specialise in Property law.
Teacher Jason Sammy said this was the first time that Shiva Boys’ Hindu College had achieved six scholarships. He credited teamwork among all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education, the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Board, the principal, deans, parents, and students for the school’s success.
