THE Brayton Hall Auditorium at British West Indies Collegiate (BWIC) erupted in ear-splitting cheers when it was announced at a special event two Thursdays ago that the University of Cambridge International Examination Board had named sixth form student Achsah Wildish “Top in the World” for her performance in Advanced Subsidiary-Level mathematics.

AS mathematics is an advanced course that is equivalent to three modules of the complete six at the Advanced Level.

“She not only scored 100 per cent in her AS mathematics examinations, but she has officially topped the world in mathematics,” vice-principal Anthony Wilkinson announced.

Achsah, the daughter of well-known Jamaican building contractor John Wildish, was kept in suspense until the moment her name was called and confessed that she was in shock.

“I put two and two together to figure I was involved in the assembly, but I didn’t know how or why. So this is all one big surprise,” she said.

She explained that she sat two exams – one in pure mathematics and one in mechanical mathematics.

“To me, this achievement means that I have achieved my goals in mathematics; that I put in the effort, and that it will help me going forward as a recognised awardee, and will help me to get into university and help me develop my future,” Achsah said.

It came as little surprise to her father, who proclaimed his daughter’s abilities.

“Her mathematics teacher and the school are very supportive, and I think that the work ethic at the school is extremely high and they make the students go the extra mile. Achsah has got talent, and it is hard work on her behalf and good preparation on the school’s behalf, so I am glad for her. I feel very, very happy. She will be able to get into a good college,” he said.

Achsah’s achievement has been characterised as a breakthrough for the Turks and Caicos Islands’s education system.

The award was presented to her in the presence of an array of dignitaries, including Premier Dr Rufus Ewing, Opposition Leader Sharlene Cartwright Robinson, and former Premier Galmo Williams. Governor Peter Beckingham also visited the school and personally congratulated the young woman just before the event.

Premier Ewing said he was flabbergasted by young Wildish’s achievement.

“I am still amazed; I am still in awe; I still think that it is a dream that someone who was nurtured in the Turks and Caicos Islands, in this institution, sits on top of the world, and places Turks and Caicos at the top of the world,” he said.

“I stand here as a proud premier today, and proud of your accomplishment and proud of your achievement. And proud of you, Mr and Mrs Wildish, for this accomplishment,” Ewing added.

He said that Achsah’s achievement was most likely realised through sound parental nurturing, skilled teaching by the institution and dedication on her part.

“It comes with nurturing, it comes with commitment and dedication to excellence. It also comes with attending an institution that has, as part of their motto, to instil the teaching of students here in these islands, and to ensure that they aspire and they reach for excellence,” the premier said.

He encouraged other students present to aspire to achieve similar heights, telling them that once they work hard and dedicate themselves to the task, they can succeed. He also congratulated the teachers at the institution, particularly those in the maths department, saying that at one stage Achsah may have passed through their hands.

Vice-principal Wilkinson told the event that Achsah was heavily involved in many areas of academic and extra-curricular activities, and still managed to outperform students from the traditional maths centres of India, Korea, China, Taiwan and Singapore.

“What a tremendous achievement for this student! What a tremendous accolade for this student’s teachers! What a tremendous involvement for our school! What a glorious breakthrough for education in the Turks and Caicos!” Wilkinson exclaimed.

A statement from Cambridge read: “Cambridge Top in the World awards recognise the success of learners who have achieved the highest standard mark in the world for a single subject. The following learner at BWIC received a Cambridge Top in the World award: Achsah Wildish. Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award – Top of the World, AS-Level Mathematics.”

Carl Simmons, vice-president of the TCI Education Foundation, which founded BWIC in 1993, was also present at the awards function.

“By receiving such an auspicious award from the University of Cambridge for attaining a world-class score in mathematics is mind-boggling to the ordinary person. We at the British West Indies Collegiate are even more proud of our Maureen Jones – our mathematics teacher – who has shown the world that she is one of the world’s leading mathematicians,” Simmons said.

He told Achsah that she demonstrated the BWIC’s commitment to excellence in education.

BWIC is a private international secondary school whose ethos embodies the provision of high-quality education to the children of Turks and Caicos as well as those who come to reside in the Islands. It is the only school of its kind in the islands and, according to the instituion, it exists to contribute to economic and social development by providing students with a progressive academic education in a safe and stimulating environment, placing them in the best possible universities worldwide, and willing them to become young citizens with a responsible, honest and altruistic character and a respect for the world in which we live.

Achsah has been living in the Turks and Caicos Islands for almost 16 years and has been attending BWIC for the past eight. She said her goal is to open a business in the finance sector.

Cambridge programmes and qualifications are taken by learners in more than 10,000 schools in 170 countries, and are recognised by universities and employers around the world.

Submitted by Vivian Tyson , a Jamaican journalist living and working in the TCI.