Leroy Cassanova, 15, was a member of the St Jago High School team that recently won the 2019 edition of the prestigious Schools Challenge Quiz, which is a televised competition among secondary schools.
The resident of Ewarton district in St Catherine is still basking in the 39-19 victory his school secured against Kingston College to lift the much enviable trophy for the fifth time.
Members of the Brown’s Town Aspiring Youths Club (BTAYC), on May 2, honoured Leroy, who is from Brown’s Town district in Ewarton.
The club presented him with a plaque and $15,000 cash. Guest speaker at the event, Newton Amos, who also hails from the Ewarton area, gave Leroy an additional $15,000.
“Being honoured by a community is a great feeling, knowing that I had made so many people proud. It is an example that others in my community – especially the younger ones – should emulate,” said the aspiring surgeon, who is a past-student of Ewarton Primary School.
He has been a member of the St Jago High quiz team for two years now, and has played in the last two finals of the national competition.
St Jago High, last year, also reached the final, but was defeated by Campion College.
“I think that [defeat] was one of the major things that we kept in mind that pushed us to be successful this year,” said Leroy, the youngest member of the quiz team.
In explaining the sacrifice made to become successful, he said: “We had to undergo many sleepless nights up studying, spending many days away from family, and leaving school as soon as it was dismissed to go back to studying. As the saying goes, hard work brings success; this victory was proof of that.”
Founder of BTAYC, Viviene Kelly, in the meantime, said the club found it necessary to honour Leroy because the entire community is proud.
“I am proud of his success and this goes to show that, it doesn’t matter where you are from, you can still excel,” she told The Beacon, adding:”The community feels like we all are winners.”
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