Marli, St. Patrick _ Miss Andella Hypolite, who attained 12 subject passes in the May/June 2016 Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations created history for Mac Donald College by being the first student to be ranked among the top fifteen performers in Grenada. In a television interview with the Grenada Broadcasting Network (GBN) on Wednesday August 17, 2016, Vice Principal of Mac Donald College and father of Miss Hypolite noted: “Though our average has always been above the national average, it is over fifteen years since we have had someone among the top performers.” Miss Hypolite’s outstanding performance is not just an achievement for Mac Donald College, but one for the parish of St. Patrick, since this is the first time that a St. Patrick resident attending a secondary school in St. Patrick achieved such a feat. The sixteen-year old who hails from River Sallee, St. Patrick previously attended the River Sallee Government School. As she prepared to write the Common Entrance examination, many recognizing her superb intelligence, discouraged her from attending the Mac Donald College. Knowing this, the moment she set foot in Mac Donald College, Miss Hypolite purposed in her heart to be the top performer in the May/June 2016 CXC CSEC examinations and ultimately, eradicate the erroneous view that Mac Donald College is a “sports” school. Consequently, it is not surprising that Miss Hypolite feels happier for her school, than herself, for her remarkable achievement. Miss Hypolite obtained ten grade ones in Biology(G), Caribbean History(G), Economics(G), English A(G), Geography(G), Information Technology(G), Mathematics(G), Physics(G), Principles of Accounts(G) and Principles of Business(G). Of the ten subjects that she received grade ones in, she had an ‘A’ profile in seven of them: Caribbean History, Economics, English A, Mathematics, Principles of Accounts and Principles of Business. She obtained grade twos in Chemistry and Spanish. Being ranked thirteenth in the May/June 2016 CXC CSEC examinations was no easy accomplishment for Miss Hypolite especially as she epitomized what it means to be a true student of Mac Donald College which aims “to provide students with a holistic education…”. When Miss Hypolite commenced her tenure at Mac Donald College, she immediately joined the Girl Guides and it was only when the group became inactive that she was forced to discontinue. In form three, she was part of the Junior Achievement programme and became president of the Mac Donald College Student Council in form four. It was in form four, also, that she participated in the GRENLEC Inter-secondary School Debate Competition and the St. George’s University (SGU) Knowledge Bowl. In both competitions, the teams reached the quarter finals. Apart from taking part in these competitions, Miss Hypolite and fellow graduate Miss Deandra Pascall-Daniel participated in the GUT Financial Literacy quiz and placed second. Despite the numerous co-curricular activities that Miss Hypolite was involved in, she was a finalist in every athletics meet throughout her tenure at Mac Donald College. Her inaugural performance in the 2012 sports meet earned her the divisional champion for preparatory girls. In 2015, she was the sub-junior girls champion and in 2016, the junior girls champion. In addition, Miss Hypolite was a consistent member of the school’s INTERCOL team and recorded her best performance in the INTERCOL games in 2015 when she placed 2nd in the 800m for sub-junior girls. Throughout her tenure at Mac Donald College, Miss Hypolite was faced with the challenge of balancing the numerous activities she was involved in while maintaining her academic performance. Her ‘A’ average throughout her tenure at Mac Donlad College attests to her ability to prioritise and focus on what is important. Not only was prioritizing a challenge for Miss Hypolite, but she was also plagued by anxiety. Often times her father had to reassure that everything would be fine and remind her to take a study break. The final year of her secondary school life proved most challenging, though, as she dabbled with different study techniques while grappling with changes in her closest friendships. When the pressure to complete School Based Assessments (SBA’s) mounted, she had to sacrifice her weekly visits to her mother Janelle Hypolite and gone were the days of attending the village harvest and her primary school fair. Additionally, she temporarily deactivated her Facebook account, all in an effort to guarantee her success. Miss Hypolite, who lives with her father in Madeys, St. Patrick is currently a student at the T. A. Marryshow Community College. She is pursuing an Associate Degree in Natural Sciences with Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology as majors. Upon completion of her college education, she hopes to attend the St. George’s University to pursue a Bachelor of Science (BSC) in Biology and ultimately study medicine. She aspires to be a dermatologist. Of Course, she would not be Miss Hypolite if she did not have a backup plan. According to Miss Hypolite, “If that doesn’t work out, then I would like to work in the Ministry of Youth, Empowerment and Sports.” She enjoys reading, watching TED talks and conducting research on areas of interest. She attributes her success to a strong relationship with God, self-discipline and encouragement from her parents and teachers, particularly Mr. Jeffrey and Miss Toussaint. She really hopes that this outstanding performance will characterise Mac Donald College and not only be repeated, but emulated in the coming years. To the present and future students, she says, “Anything is possible with God, but you need to work hard because nothing good comes easy.”