Linstead family celebrates as ‘queen’ delivers academic excellence

Deputy Head Girl of Jericho Primary School in the Linstead area of St. Catherine, Ashéneeke Cleghorn, is celebrating after securing a place at her first choice – The Queen’s School.

Her placement at the prestigious all-girl high school in Kingston is based on her excellent performance in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP).

“I feel exceptionally great about my PEP results. I am a very dedicated and hard-working individual, so I always make it a priority to put the best of me out there,” she said.

Ashéneeke, who wants to become a judge or a journalist, does not feel encumbered by people’s expectations of her.

“I can assure everyone that is counting on me that I will always be the Ashéneeke they know, but more spiritually inclined, more hard working, and dedicating more of my time to my studies. I will always make everyone proud,” she said.

Ashéneeke, who is a past student of Bourne’s Little Angel Pre-School and Kindergarten in Ewarton district, graduated from that institution as one of the valedictorians.

She is an avid reader, who was involved in various extra-curricular activities at her primary school. She was a member of the quiz team, cricket team, speech and dance group, and the choir – among others.

Ashéneeke also was a class monitor and President of the 4-H Club at Jericho Primary.

She is a recent bronze medalist in the speech festival hosted by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission.

Ashéneeke’s mother, Patrice Ashley Cleghorn, told The Beacon that the young scholar was an ‘A’ student throughout primary school.

She is not surprised by her daughter’s performance in PEP, which was altered this year due to island-wide disruption caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The mother said: “Ashéneeke maintained A’s and was always awarded on prize-giving day. As a matter of fact, she was the only Grade 6 student at Jericho Primary to be awarded this year at their award ceremony – and that brought us great joy. My daughter is a well-rounded child who doesn’t like failure, and thus has been maintaining 80 percent average and over.”

She recalled her daughter’s initial reaction to her PEP results and placement. “She addressed herself as ‘The Queen’. She cried when her PEP results came, and the whole family rejoiced with her,” the mother further explained.

She is grateful for the support she has received from Ashéneeke’s teachers, relatives – including her father Robert Cleghorn, and friends at the Cheesefield New Testament Church of God.

The mother also recalled being very active in her daughter’s school life.

“Her father and I gave her all the love and support from the very start, and were always active in her school projects and assignments. I hardly missed a PTA meeting; I would visit almost every extra-curricular event that she was actively involved in,” she said.

Ashéneeke, in the meantime, encourages other students to keep their dreams alive, study hard, and don’t allow anyone to take advantage of them, or make them feel unwanted or worthless.

She is guided by the philosophy: “Stand tall, be brave and fight for your future.”

By Horace Mills, Journalist

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