KINGSTON, Jamaica — The top-performing female Primary Exit Profile (PEP) student in state care wore a bright smile on Thursday (August 21), proudly celebrating her success.

In an interview after the Child Protection and Family Services Agency’s (CPFSA) 2025 PEP Awards Ceremony, held at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston, she shared that on PEP results day she was overcome with emotion — tears not of sorrow, but of pure joy.

“It was happy tears. I was crying but I was happy, because my best friend and I passed for the same school,” she said.

Her journey through primary school was one of quiet determination, steady academic progress and constant support of the woman she calls “mommy”.

The student, who passed for her first-choice institution, shared that preparing for PEP was easy for her, and as she prepares to start high school in September, she is determined to continue “doing good and improving more”.

It was during a Sabbath church service that her foster mother met officers from the CPFSA — a chance encounter that planted the seed of fostering in her heart.

After discussing the idea with her husband and her youngest daughter, the family wholeheartedly agreed to welcome a girl into their home.

She welcomed the then preteen into her arms and home when she was just shy of a year old.

“When we got [her], everybody love off [name redacted],” she shared.

A week later, she made the life-changing decision to quit her job and devote herself fully to caring for her foster daughter.

She said her foster child has always been academically gifted, earning certificates for excellence, trophies for Mathematics and making the principal’s honour roll — achievements that began as early as basic school.

Raising her daughter, she said, has been a joy and whenever financial challenges arose, support always came from friends or family.

She recalled that the moment she received her PEP results she screamed, cried and immediately began calling relatives overseas to share in the joy.

While the top student has not yet decided on a future career — although she once dreamed of becoming a doctor and frequently dressed as a teacher on career day — one thing is certain, she’s heading into high school with the tools she needs to succeed.

Her mother expressed gratitude to the CPFSA for gifting her a tablet and laptop, both of which are essential tools to meet the digital demands of high school life.

— JIS