Two weeks ago, the Sunday Observer travelled to the St Mary High School in Highgate and engaged four sixth formers on that question. Here are their thoughtful responses.

Sixteen-year-old lower sixth former, Wrenford Thaffe, believes that he is successful because with the help of God, he has embraced all his duties. Thaffe received eight distinctions in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate exams.

As a student, primarily as a young member of your family, it is your responsibility to sort of elevate the conditions, do better than your parents. Whatever their occupation is, be they lawyers, teachers, doctors, always try to go above them. You’d allow other people to look up to you. With that in mind, you achieve, and you get someone to get that drive to achieve. And the hard work has been manifested in good grades. Sometimes I get low grades, but I use them to sort of boost me along.

Another lower sixth former, Kimone Phipps, says she felt relieved after she received eight distinctions and two credits in her CSEC exams. The subjects were, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Math, English, Human and Social Biology, Accounts, English Literature, Social Studies and Information Technology. But the pleasant and lanky teen, is still happy about her success because she feels she has defied the odds.

I am from the community of Annotto Bay and people usually have this thing in mind that nothing good can come from Annotto Bay. They say good news doesn’t travel as fast as bad news, but when the results came, everybody hear and everybody congratulate me and tell me how I make the community feel good and it was refreshing. Sixth form is harder than expected, but I’m all right.

Petite 16-year-old Sheneka Ramdon does not feel she put the required effort into her CSEC exams. She, however, somehow managed to walk away with eight distinctions, to enter the lower sixth form. Her success lies in her outlook on life, she says.

Well, I think mainly because of my determination and how I view life really. I think that everything that you is the result of the choices you made earlier. So make that decision (to do well) then you will end up on the right path.

For instance, my choice of extra curricular, I’m a cadet and I’m a member of the newsletter committee. I try to put my all in whatever I’m doing. If I’m doing something it has to be done efficiently and effectively.

Sheneka’s passes were in Math, English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Accounts, Social Studies, Information Technology.

She says she doesn’t think she is doing as well now in Math and Chemistry at sixth form, but we know not to take her word for it.

Sheneka’s brother, 18-year-old Sanjay Ramdon, has a clear formula for success. Sanjay received six distinctions, two credits and one pass in his CSEC exams and is gearing up to enter college next year.

Well, you have to have a mixture of academics and co-curricular (activities). I like academics. I am a very serious person, and like to focus on what I’m doing. So anything I’m doing, I put my all in it. And academics, I put my all in it and as you’ll see in the results.

Sanjay is s sergeant in the Cadet Corps and is the vice-president of his A-Quest class, a programme geared at preparing young people for college in the United States.

It’s all about the leadership that I’ve developed over the years through cadets and other areas of my life.