With nothing less than a grade one in 14 subjects across the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) Unit 1 level thus far, and 10 straight A profiles, 18-year-old Robert Morgan is cruising towards a career in engineering.

In August, Morgan, of Ensom City in Spanish Town, St Catherine, was also named head boy of St Jago High School after acing CAPE Unit 1 chemistry, physics, pure math and communication studies.

“I am thrilled and extremely grateful about my recent accomplishment. Moments before I visited my CXC (Caribbean Examinations Council) portal, I was anxious and tense but when I viewed my profile, I was quite ecstatic. It was almost unbelievable but definitely a super proud moment for me. I had no major challenges within subject areas. I strongly embraced consistency and commitment, which motivates me to balance both school and Christian life,” Morgan said during an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

“Given the high standards I had for myself, I was only concerned with whether I will be able to execute again. I stand here to encourage youths all across Jamaica, to aspire and achieve through prayer and diligence,” he added.

He told the Sunday Observer that he set out on a mission to become a head student.

“Personally, I don’t limit what I can do or where I can go and so, being head boy was certainly one of my aims. I knew being selected to be a head student wasn’t a walkover but rather competitive and I ensured I worked hard and showcased my potential and leadership ability to be a good contender for the position.”

Bartley added that his family and friends were overjoyed by the accomplishment. The year prior, he bagged 10 CSEC grade ones with six straight A profiles.

“Their support is tremendous, and it really pushes me to continue striving for excellence. I would like thank to my friends, relatives, teachers, and my mentor, Oneil Madden, who believed in me and motivated me to aim high and be persistent. I am also thankful for my family and friends within the Caribbean Conference of Seventh-Day Christians (CCSDC) who constantly promoted the adage ‘Jesus plus education equals Success,’ prayed and always encouraged me to excel,” Morgan said.

But in the few months leading up to the exams, Morgan said he was mentally exhausted and emotionally low.

“I was deeply perturbed by circumstances I had to endure. I was uneasy quite frequently that it deterred my focus and made it difficult to capitalise on face-to-face classes. I was frustrated by school overall and personally the pandemic would have affected me socially, so returning to face-to-face classes was a challenging process,” he said.

Morgan, also a youth leader at Berea Seventh-Day Christian Church, said exam preparation was very strenuous due to the heavy workload and preparation time.

“Obtaining four grade ones with straight A profiles at the CAPE level is quite daunting and was before a feat I thought I could not achieve. However, with much diligence and prayer, along with the efforts of my dedicated teachers, I was able to prepare myself which proved successful as I aced my CAPE exams. I believe COVID-19 made it more challenging to concentrate on my studies because I had to compete against more distractions than usual.”

Moving on to upper sixth form at St Jago, Morgan is steadfast on conquering another three subjects while undertaking head boy duties, before tackling tertiary education.

“I am currently pursuing Unit 2 pure math, chemistry and physics which will support the engineering discipline that I will study at the tertiary level. I am encouraged to dream big and work hard to get where I want to be, hence, I set my eyes on overseas colleges to pursue a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

“Securing prominent scholarships is also a big part of my plan to further my studies at the international or local level so despite my ambitions, I believe God’s plan always prevails and He will guide my future,” he told the Sunday Observer.

Morgan had been demonstrating an interest in engineering as early as the primary education level.

“From the age of six, I showed great interest in building and designing, because my father was a building engineer and contractor, and I was inspired by his work. As a student, I loved the sciences and mathematics, which also fuelled me to pursue engineering as a career path. I believe engineering suits my intelligence and interest. Furthermore, I envision myself continuing my father’s legacy,” he professed.

“My parents aren’t strict in term of academics. I just know they have high academic expectations of me, and I certainly would not want to disappoint them. My parents are very supportive and confident in me, and I find encouragement and motivation in that. I am so grateful and appreciative of my mother, Aneika Parke, who supports and cares for me unconditionally, as well as my father, Robert, who inspires me to be excellent in respective of challenges,” he added.