By Carlena Knight
Ten-year-old Kezia Thomas has credited the support of her family, her “fab five” friends, teachers and principal for her success in being named the top public school student in this year’s Grade Six National Assessment.
The Old Road Primary School student, who placed sixth overall in the country with a score of 376 out of a possible 400, said that she was “elated” when she first got the news.
“I was so elated and so proud of my accomplishments that I even cried,” Thomas said.
The charismatic future accountant, who will pursue her secondary education at the Antigua Girls’ High School (AGHS) as of September, also had some encouraging words for Grade Six students who will be taking the exams next year.
“Think big. Put God first and always remember that the sky is the limit,” she advised.
The excitement did not end with Kezia, as her parents were also “over the moon”.
“You know, when I got the news I was lost for words,” her mother, Leonora Roberts-Thomas, told Observer.
“Not because I didn’t think she had the potential but since the age of six Kezia said that she was going to beat her sister who came 15th on the island at that time.
“When we actually heard the score — because she said she was going to get 378 — and at the end of the day, she got 376, I was just blown away by the fact that she came so close to what she wanted to accomplish,” Roberts-Thomas explained.
She added that her girls stick to a specific routine and that too played a part in Kezia’s success as she remained focussed even through the pandemic.
Her father, Craig Thomas, who shared the same sentiments as his wife, thanked God, their extended family, and the principal and staff at Old Road Primary School for their input into his daughter’s success.
