SHE won many awards, was considered exceptional and many expected only the best from her, and Shauna Kay Martin did not disappoint. The St Hilda’s High School head girl and valedictorian scored distinctions in eight subjects she sat in the 2014 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams.

In an interview following Martin’s graduation in July, her mother Marva Martin told the Jamaica Observer North East that her daughter’s achievement was evident in their Brown’s Town community, with several medals and trophies decorating their home.

“I don’t have to buy flowers,” the proud mother spoke admirably of her daughter who copped 10 awards at her graduation.

The elated mother described her daughter as a dedicated student even as she expressed gratitude that her consistently hard work has paid off.

“I was so excited, the other night I couldn’t sleep… I am very excited. I called so many people, I don’t know whom else to call. I just wanted them to know how happy I am for my daughter,” she beamed.

The mother said she is now hoping that her daughter will win a scholarship so she can go on to pursue her dreams.

The single mother was among many who expected her daughter to have done well in her exams. Martin scored distinctions in Information Technology, English Language, English Literature, Social studies, biology, chemistry and Mathematics.

Being from very humble beginnings she showed that with hard work one can be successful.

“I am feeling great,” the top debater in the inaugural St Ann police debating competition said.

“I expected it, but it still came as a surprise,” the very ecstatic Martin told the Observer North East.

Martin now has her eyes set on becoming a successful programmer. “I want to become a programmer. I want to be able to travel the world. I want to work with big companies like Google or Apple. I want to be able to make my own software and become rich like Mark Zuckerberg because he is young and he has a wonderful success story,” she told the Observer in an interview earlier this year.

Martin said her teachers at St Hilda’s have also been excited for her.

“They said they expected nothing less,” she said.

Martin has been seen as a role model by many and the teen has not failed to be an example to others around her.

According to her mother, Shauna Kay always listens and is a child who takes instructions and is one to emulate.

Meanwhile, Martin said the secret to her success is no secret at all but hard work.

According to the teen, she paid attention in class and tried to learn her lessons from there before studying at home.

“Before you even start thinking about trying to study you must learn well in class… I pay attention and you have to know what you want and work towards what you want,” Martin said.

She said one has to be a “go-getter” in order to achieve.