By KIMBERLEY HIBBERT

Career & Education reporter

FOR Kristi Charles, topping the island in a major exam is not an unfamiliar accomplishment, as she was the top girl for the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) in 2007 with a 99 per cent average. But being awarded first place in the island for unit one Spanish in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) came as a surprise to her, as she admits that CAPE Spanish was not her best subject.

“My aim was just to get a grade one. At the CAPE level it’s more challenging because we have things like Spanish literature to do, so it’s not as simple as CSEC. When I heard I topped the island I was like ‘woah’ because I wasn’t expecting that,” Charles said.

But Charles, 17, a student of Campion College, is different from the average teenager as she enjoys the lyrics of Patti Labelle, Michael Bolton and Smokey Robinson — a liking she says developed from hearing the songs being played by her parents.

“I love music and it keeps me going. I’m inclined to oldies because the lyrics are better and actually make more sense and have more meaning to me. I really don’t know why I like it but it is just a form of music I’m drawn to,” she said.

Charles, who describes herself as a true humanitarian, optimistic and cheerful, said she values education but her focus is not entirely there.

“I am a hard worker, I can’t stop studying until I know everything because it will faze me, but I’m not a bookworm, I don’t only focus on academics,” she said.

Charles’ mother, Cleopatra, said at times she has to tell her daughter to slow down but in the midst of her achievements she has really made her proud.

“She has never disappointed me, she has made me proud and really happy, not only in her work but how she carries herself like a lady, how she speaks, her modesty. When I learned that she was the top girl in the island for unit one of CAPE Spanish, I was overjoyed. I remember what happened in 2007 with her GSAT results and this time she has done it again. I believe in the value of education and a good education will take you places so I ensure that she receives one,” her mother said.

For Charles, being involved in co-curricular activities is mandatory as she sees it as a forum to display her inner attributes. Charles admitted to having a love for children and most of her involvement surrounds volunteer and help for children in need.

“I have a passion for musical theatre and I love children and enjoy volunteering and doing community service,” she said.

Two of Charles’ major projects that she assists with is the Teens for Academic Advancement of Jamaica (TAAJ) which provides help for inner city GSAT students, and ‘We Care’ which provides breakfast and lunch for primary school children in need, while helping them with other necessities and encouraging them to preserve their environment.

Charles said the TAAJ initiative started at Campion and it was her friend Lindsay Walker, also a student at Campion, who brought the programme together.

“The TAAJ is an initiative where high schools across Jamaica adopt a primary school that needs help with education, take a child there and assist them with their GSAT preparations. Lindsay and I started in November last year at St Benedict’s Primary School. We got around to Dunrobin Primary and New Providence Primary as well,” Charles said.

Charles, however, said that she is making an appeal for more high schools to come on board the programme.

She added that the programme provides books, tutoring and motivational sessions for students but needs sponsorship in order to survive.

“Any school that wants to come on board is welcome to do so but we need more sponsors in order to have books to do these tutoring sessions. We want the programme to grow as some of the students from St Benedict’s who attended our GSAT workshops passed their exams for traditional high schools like Holy Childhood High and Wolmer’s Girls and they were extremely grateful,” Charles said.

Charles’ humanitarian efforts do not stop there as she said that the ‘We Care’ initiative at Campion for which she is the president was started by her brother while he attended Campion and it serves as a true motivation for her.

“I love to help and to see how the little you have can be so much to someone else is a true encouragement. In ‘We Care’ we have Happy Tummies which is the school feeding part and a shoe drive, as a lot of children at St Benedict’s were coming to school in slippers. We also do tree planting exercises for these children as a way to reduce the heat on their school compound,” she said.

Apart from her community service initiatives, Charles said she enjoys dancing and even refers to it as a sport.

“I enjoy modern and interpretative dances. Apart from ‘We Care’, I’m the president of a club I started called Fitness Through Dance where we exercise using dance moves to upbeat songs and it’s open to the entire school — both teachers and students,” Charles said.

Charles, however, said that despite her co curricular involvement in her projects and clubs at school like the Steel Orchestra, Dance Society, Flower Club and Christian Life Community, and even being the rugby nurse — applying antiseptic to rugby players’ cuts at matches and wrapping sprains — she is happy for her Spanish achievements as part of her dream is to travel to Spanish speaking countries and obtain a career.

“I want to travel to Spanish speaking countries to teach, probably do medicine or keep volunteering. I don’t have my mind set any one career but I want to go abroad and explore my options. I see my calling in either actuarial science or paediatrics,” she said.

Charles, who has received many awards, is focused on making a difference and motivating others. While at it she maintains that in order to do well as students, self motivation and reward are necessary.

Charles… I can’t stop studying until I know everything

(Photo: Bryan Cummings)