5 Questions with Tahira Barrett, PEP Scholar

Tahira Barrett lost her mother when she was just two (2) days old. Growing up without a mother could not have been easy for Tahira but today she shares a story of triumph. " Seeing other children with their moms sometimes made me a bit jealous and extremely sad. Every Mother's Day I am I’m extremely saddened because I don’t have my biological mother to say Happy Mother's Day to. However, I would just say it to my grandma and to my older sister because she has always been there." Tahira shared with Education Jamaica. Regardless of the absence of her mother, Tahira was able to excel in her PEP examinations, performing better than 98% of all test-takers in Jamaica on the ability test. We had the opportunity to ask her five questions and we are sure all PEP students across Jamaica will be inspired.

1. Tell us about yourself and your future endeavors.

My name is Tahira Barrett and I am twelve years of age. The name of the school I recently graduated from is Unity Primary School. My favorite subject is Mathematics. While at Unity Primary I participated in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission as an extra-curricular activity. In my spare time, I like to play volleyball and sometimes I read. In the future, I aspire to be a pediatrician and my university of choice is the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus.

2. How do you feel about your PEP results?

I feel very proud about my pep results as I scored 98% better than all the students who sat the exam. From the day of the exam to the day of the results I was nervous and also anxious. I always asked myself, "What if I made a mistake?". Now that results have been out and I was placed at my first school of choice, The Manning’s School, I am free to say I am no longer worried and can be considered a “Blueblood” to be!

3. Share with us the steps you took to prepare for your PEP examinations.

Preparing for the exam was sometimes challenging. Some days I felt like I didn't want to study, sometimes I was sick and I was just exhausted, but then I remembered words of encouragement that I got and the long-term goals I had for myself. I kept working harder. Each day my teacher gave the class a practice ability test and when schools were re-opened physically we made the most of it.

4. What would you say to your classmates and other pep students across Jamaica today?

To all my fellow classmates and the others across Jamaica that did PEP, you should be happy regardless of the school you were placed in, whether it was your first, second choice, or no choice of yours. My sister always told me that life is not defined by where you go, it's about what you do when you go there.

5. Who would you like to acknowledge or shout out?

I would like to acknowledge my dad, Mark Barrett (the best single dad I know), grandparents, Emeline and George Coke, my siblings, my church family, and other extended family members for their words of encouragement and continuous support. A special thanks to my Grade 6 teacher, Ms.D Campbell for showing resilience throughout the entire year as we were online most of the time. I also want to highlight all the other teachers who worked with me from Basic school to Grade 5, they set the paste and Ms. Campbell did a beautiful finish. Even when I was doubting myself you all believed in me just the same. Thank you!