The boy who couldn’t speak | St Mary native averages 96.6 percent

A family has found a profound lesson in the 96.6 percent, which Domonick Lewis averaged in the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).

Domonick struggled with socialization issues, and was unable to speak even while he attended basic school.

His mother Orthense McGregor-Lewis noted: “My son faced a lot of challenges.”

“He wasn’t able to speak at basic school at age four. I didn’t know he was ever going to speak. He was at school using sign language and those things,” she explained.

As the years rolled by, however, Domonick found his voice.

He also found a purpose.

“I want to become a mechanical engineer,” he told the Jamaica Beacon, adding that he is elated about his GSAT performance.

He scored 96 percent in Mathematics, 98 percent in Science, 95 percent in Social Studies, 94 percent in Language Arts, and 100 percent in Communication Task.

Domonick, who attends Labyrinth Primary in St Mary, promised to work even harder at the prestigious St Mary High School in Highgate.

His GSAT teacher Yackesha Samuda-Green, among others, contributed to the success.

There is also high commendation for Mount Nebo Primary School in the Guys Hill area of St Catherine, not far away from St Mary.

Domonick actually spent the first four years of his primary school life at Mount Nebo, where his mother is a teacher.

His mother, Mrs Lewis, explained why she transferred him to Labyrinth. “I wanted to sort of allow him to mature without me always being around him,” she told Jamaica Beacon.

Domonick Lewis strikes a pose with members of his nuclear family. Photo provided

Perhaps because of his early challenges, Domonick, now 12, continues to receive highly special treatment from his relatives.

His father Harvey Lewis, for example, left his work in Hanover for two days to provide transportation and emotional support to Domonick while GSAT was in full swing.

“We realized that it was a time when our son needed that type of support,” Mrs Lewis noted.

She also sourced GSAT past papers for Domonick, and constantly communicated with her son’s GSAT teacher at Labyrinth Primary.

Those efforts eventually paid off.

“I am extremely elated,” Mrs Lewis declared in reacting to her son’s phenomenal performance.

“He has been performing well from Grade One. But, leading up to the GSAT, I was a little doubtful because I didn’t see where he was studying as I wanted him to study.”

She expects Domonick to engineer more achievements and bring more joy to his family and rural St Mary community.

“I expect only greatness from Domonick,” Mrs Lewis said. “His ambition is to become a mechanical engineer, and he is someone who is very focused. I will continue to be there for him.”

By Horace Mills

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