MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Seventeen-year-old Glowlaine Rowe was named the top building technology student in Jamaica for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations held in May this year.

Building technology was one of eight subjects aced by the former Victor Dixon High School head boy, in addition to three twos, for a total of eleven passes.

Rowe, whose ambition is to be an architect and project manager, says topping the subject islandwide came as a surprise.

“I didn’t know how to react when I heard about a week and half ago and I still don’t know how to react because it is still ‘soaking in’,” he said.

“Ever since I started doing technical drawing, I fell in love with the whole area of architecture and realised that it was not one of the popular professions, but that I could make a living from it, so I decided to go along with it,” he added.

From a development perspective, Rowe believes he has a big role to play in the country in the years ahead.

“Jamaica is developing at a very quick pace and I believe the country needs architects and project managers to better develop the country,” he said.

Rowe, who is the second of two sons to Adventist Pastor Philbert Rowe and mother Lisa, now attends Knox Community College where he is studying architecture. After two years at Knox he plans to study at the University of Technology and subsequently to go overseas.

Mrs Rowe said her son had “worked hard and studied well. I think he is a very disciplined student who balances his time between recreation and study. He usually reads his Bible and prays before he studies because he believes his success comes from God”.

Rowe was one of 10 students who sat the building technology exam from Victor Dixon, with four achieving grade ones and six, grade twos. Technical drawing teacher Ian Newman had high praise for him.

“He is a hard worker who likes to meet deadlines. He has the potential for greatness. I saw the discipline and high-quality work in him from as early as forth form,” he said.

“All along he exceeded my expectations. He knows exactly what he wants and always goes for it. He has also shown a special love and dedication for the subject,” Newman added.

Rowe’s CSEC passes are: one in mathematics, building technology, human and social biology, physical education, information technology, chemistry, biology and technical drawing; and two in English language, geography and physics;

He was valedictorian of his gradutaing class and received various awards at the June function — including top overall male student and top student for subject awards in the sciences, mathematics, geography, vocational studies and information technology.