Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
For Anya Teeluckdharry, nine Grade Ones at CAPE are the result of a lesson she learned from watching her parents work hard: success does not come without determination and discipline.
The Parvati Girls’ Hindu College student emerged from the demanding Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) programme with Grade Ones in Biology, Chemistry, Pure Mathematics, Physics and Communication Studies, among other subjects.
Speaking with Guardian Media, Teeluckdharry said her parents’ example had been a constant source of motivation throughout her academic journey.
Watching her father, Danny Teeluckdharry, tend to his poultry farm in Penal and her mother, Kavita Teeluckdharry, build her career as an executive assistant, she learned early the value of hard work.
Although she never worked on her father’s poultry farm, she said she always admired his work ethic and her mother’s strength.
“I’m from a family of very hard workers,” Teeluckdharry said.
She described her father as someone with a “get-it-yourself kind of mentality,” a man who is always figuring things out and finding ways to solve problems.
She said her mother has been her greatest source of motivation.
“My mom is my biggest motivator, my biggest supporter. She has equipped me with this mentality to always face your problems head-on,” she explained.
Teeluckdharry said that mindset would prove invaluable during her two years at CAPE.
She said her greatest challenge was not simply understanding the work, but learning how to balance her academic ambitions with her personal well-being.
“It was about finding balance, not compromising my mental health for my education solely,” she revealed.
She said that when she made the decision to take on Physics as an additional subject, despite considering it one of her more challenging areas, she encountered difficulties.
However, she said her teachers at Parvati Girls’ were careful to ensure she understood the additional workload she was taking on.
“I like to take on a challenge,” she said. “If I want to achieve something, there’s no way else to do it but just going through with the experience.”
She admitted that part of her difficulty with Physics was a “mental block” allowing the challenge before her to seem greater than it actually was, but she refused to retreat.
Having already earned distinctions and Grade Ones across the sciences at CSEC, Teeluckdharry said she entered CAPE with the confidence that challenges could be overcome through hard work, the philosophy of her parents.
“I wasn’t scared,” she said. “I was more determined, if anything.”
Teeluckdharry said she plans to attend The University of the West Indies to pursue biomedical technology, a field she hopes will allow her to combine her passion for science with a meaningful career.
As an avid reader, Teeluckdharry said reading has been one of the most meaningful influences on her academic journey, helping her to express herself and develop her own voice.
She said her years at Parvati Girls’ were among her “favourite years” and credited the school community, her teachers, friends and family for helping her along the way.
Meanwhile, her mother Kavita said Teeluckdharry’s results came as no surprise.
“Anya has consistently made me proud for her entire life,” Kavita said.
But she said her daughter’s achievements extend beyond the classroom.
“She is so kind and generous,” she said, describing her as organised, meticulous and highly self-motivated.
Kavita said she tried to teach her children the importance of balance, believing that no one should devote every waking moment to a single pursuit.
Principal of Parvati Girls’ High School, Dr Sharda Maharaj-Ramjattan described Teeluckdharry as an excellent and well-rounded student who understood the importance of balancing academics with other aspects of school life.
“She was immersed in every facet of school life,” Ramjattan said, adding that the college was “extremely proud” of its students’ performance.
