Top SEA performer wants to be vet

Top performer in the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA), Gabrielle Balgobin, already has chosen her profession, a veterinarian, so she can help and rescue stray animals. Little did she know while welcoming Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh, Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner and Minister in the Ministry of Education Clifton de Coteau to the Chaguanas Government Primary School that they were the bearers of good news. Balgobin said when everyone else was out having fun she was at home preparing for her exam. While she was confident in passing for her first choice,  St Augustine Girls’ High School (SAGHS), Balgobin said her chance of placing in the top 100 was “very thin.”

She said: “I never would have imagined placing first. “Everybody was like you’re coming first... my family, my teachers, my friends all said that but I would just nod and smile. In my heart I would just say probably.” Her sacrifices included giving up watching television and  socialising. Balgobin plays the guitar and loves riding her bicycle. She also enjoys the outdoors and cares about the environment.
She also loves gardening and was a member of the school’s environment club. Her advice to other pupils was “work hard, make sacrifices and be the best you can be.” Balgobin’s parents, Ricky Balgobin, a pharmacist, and Marsha Jaggernauth, a doctor, were proud of their only daughter’s achievement.
Ricky said his daughter was not “a nerd” but a well-rounded child who was dedicated and composed.
He said she hardly needed supervision and was mature for her age.

Ricky said his daughter played cricket, football and loved getting her hands dirty through backyard planting. Asked how he would reward her, he replied: “Whatever she wants. She is the celebrity.” His wife said she was proud and overwhelmed by her daughter’s success but “this is just icing on the cake.”
Jaggernauth said she always knew Balgobin would do well. Balgobin said she wanted to become a veterinarian because her dad would often bring home stray animals. Asked how she wanted to be rewarded, she said: “My parents told me they would give me a reward but didn’t really specify.
“My uncle Roger encouraged me with an IPad so that was a good motivation.” Meanwhile, Adilah Adams, who shared the second position with Rai Rooplal, said she was shocked at her results.

Adams, who begins classes at St Augustine Girls’ High School (SAGHS) in September, praised her parents for “working night and day” with her. Adams said: “It is all about putting your best foot forward.”
Her mother’s, Aleema, face beamed with joy. Aleema said she ensured her daughter studied hard to prepare for the exam which sometimes meant “quarrel, quarrel, quarrel.” Her father, Rahil, meticulously videotaped his daughter’s every move after the good news was released. A timid Rooplal said he was shocked and didn’t expect to do so well. “I am very happy and proud of my performance,” he added.
He passed for Presentation College, Chaguanas. His proud father, Robert, said his son had a good balance between academics and other activities and that led to his success. Robert and his wife, Laura, were ecstatic when Rooplal’s name was announced. Rooplal is an only child while Balgobin and Adams each have a younger brother.