The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports along with the CXC Committee of Belize awarded more than three hundred students this morning for their excellent performance in the C-SEC and CAPE exams. Reporter Marion Ali and cameraman Brian Castillo were at the Jaguar Auditorium in Belmopan.
MARION ALI
Belize’s best achievers on the Caribbean Examinations Council’s CAPE and C-Sec studies, CXC, were recognized during a special ceremony today at the UB Gymnasium in Belmopan. Topping the CAPE or sixth form level exams for 2013 is Aaron Stock, who was honored as Belize’s Most Outstanding Candidate with the Belize Scholarship, now upgraded from a value of 80 thousand to 200 thousand dollars. At the secondary school level, Xiaowen Huang, a graduate of E.P. Yorke High School, was the top achiever in the CXC exams with a total of sixteen Grade Ones at the General Proficiency Level. Both Stock and Huang had sobering advice for students who now aspire for the same greatness as they have achieved. And Huang and Stock seemed to have the same views. Beverly Stock pinch-hitted for her son who is away studying.
Beverly Stock, Mother of Aaron Stock
“Failure is not falling down. It is refusing to get up after you have fallen. Choose friends who will inspire you to be a better person. Because as the old saying go Birds of a feather flock together.”
Xiaowen Huang, Top Achiever, CXC
“We will be frustrated at times but don’t give up. You must persevere. Your success is just an inch away do not complain. Each trial will only make you stronger. Every situation or every person you encounter can be a lesson. Love and respect everyone is humble and is willing to learn. It’s time to realize they have the experience and they only want the best for you. And remember tomorrow is granted to no one so reach for success today.”
The keynote speaker at the event, Khalid Belisle, also had sharp advice for the students.
Khalid Belisle, Guest Speaker, CXC Awards
“Be confident. A bit murky that word is. Confident. It comes in many shapes and forms and often start bleeding into another word whose stigma we would rather not be associated with you know arrogant. Understanding we are all different due to circumstances and experiences I still urge you to be confident in yourselves. My own personal belief is that of quiet confidence. An awareness of knowledge so profound that there is no need to claim it to the world. I have found that the smartest man in the room is usually the man who knows he is the smartest man in the room but doesn’t feel the need to advertise it.”
Minister of Education, Patrick Faber, used the two top achievers as examples for others who don’t quite push their limits.
Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
“We have some talented students who don’t bother to take the exam because they feel they can go to the US and they don’t need to take the CXC exams but I want to encourage those who have the talent to help the country to shine and to help their schools to shine. Because when schools and the country have this great number of passes we all look good. Nothing worth having comes easy. It takes hard work and it takes sacrifice.”
Over 320 students were awarded for excellence in the exams for 2013. Altogether, over a thousand passed.
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