Beacon of the day | Young man, who doesn’t know his father, achieves best grade possible in 11 CXC
September 28, 2020A young man, who does not know his father, has reaped the perfect grade (Grade One) in 11 CSEC subjects delivered by the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC).
His name is Antione Mitchell, 18, from John’s Hall Retirement – a virtually unknown community in St. James.
He told The Beacon: “I would like to tell young people on this island that it’s not where you are from but where you are going.”
Mitchell, who is bent on becoming a pediatrician or an anesthesiologist, is pleased with his academic performance.
“I feel great,” he declared. “I was a bit surprised though as I thought I didn’t perform well in certain subjects.”
Preliminary results from CXC show that Mitchell attained the following subjects and grades:
- Biology – Grade One
- Chemistry – Grade One
- English A – Grade One (all ‘A’ profiles)
- Geography – Grade One
- Mathematics – Grade One
- Physics – Grade One (all ‘A’ profiles)
- Spanish – Grade one
- Information Technology – Grade One (all ‘A’ profiles)
- Human and Social Biology – Grade One (all ‘A’ profiles)
- Social Studies – Grade One
- Principles of Business – Grade One
The young scholar, who opined that the Multiple Choice component of the exams was the most difficult, was not negatively affected by the sudden closure of school, resulting from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“The COVID-19 pandemic affected me positively,” Mitchell said, noting that the closure of schools provided him with more study time.
He also attributed his success to the support, which he received from past students of his alma mater – Cornwall College.
“The sponsorship from The Cornwall College Old Boys’ Association helped in my success. Without them, I don’t think I would have successfully graduated from high school.”
Mitchell also got help from relatives such as his grandmother Marcia Appleton and from friends, including those at the Retirement New Testament Church of God where he worships.
The former sub-prefect at Cornwall College indicated that he pushes himself to achieve because he intends to attain social mobility through education.
“The main factors that definitely accounted for my success are my dedication to education and the fact that I want to really improve my standard of living and that of my family,” he added. “Sometimes I forget that I am poor because of the bright future ahead of me.”
Mitchell was two years old when he last saw and heard from his father, Oswald Mitchell, whose last known address is Waltham Park, Kingston. The youngster still hopes to meet his father one day.
His mother, Stephanie Lowe, who is unemployed, explained why her son does not have a relationship with his father. “The father said that, if I left Kingston with the baby and come to Mobay, he will have nothing to do with him (the baby),” she claimed.
The mother, in the meantime, is proud of her son’s accomplishment.
“I feel great,” she said. “When I saw the results, I started screaming, knowing that my only son made me proud.”
She has two daughters – both younger than Mitchell.
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