Abigail Richards, JN Scholar for St Catherine, walking in her purpose

Damion Richards is convinced that his daughter, Abigail, is walking in her purpose, having excelled by copping the JN Primary Exit Profile (PEP) scholarship for St Catherine – scoring high enough to secure a spot at Campion College, her school of first choice.

“I was very happy, as this was the only scholarship I ever applied for on behalf of my daughter and was successful with. Somehow, I knew it would have come through, and when I got the call, I was overjoyed,” he shared after it was communicated to him that his daughter received the JN parish scholarship for St Catherine.

Abigail was one of 37 students awarded the five-year prize for 2023 at the 40th JN Scholarship Awards ceremony held at the Summit (formerly Knutsford Court Hotel) in New Kingston in November.

“She is disciplined, creative and focused. All that attributes make her successful in all that she does,” he said.

Richards says he has always known that his daughter, who attended Kensington Primary School in Portmore, St Catherine, was destined for greatness.

“She has been a high achieving student since grade one and up to grade six, this trend has continued, and I am happy that JN assisted in rewarding her hard work,” he said, noting that her preparations involved doing extra lessons and practice questions from previous PEP exams.

For Abigail, the scholarship is a feather in her cap and a pleasant surprise, as she had no idea her parents had applied for the award.

For the avid reader who enjoys fiction, such as The Chronicles of Narnia and The Land of Stories, a series of children’s fiction, adventure and fantasy books, her words of encouragement to other students are to read over their notes and use practice papers.

“I also ensured that I did the homework that my teacher gave me and used the past papers to assist me in my studies,” she said.

While unsure what career path she will take when she gets older, the 12-year-old now enjoys drawing, especially animé, hand-drawn and computer-generated animation, which she does during her personal time.

“I love drawing because you can bring your imagination to life,” she explained. She also loves to edit videos, a self-taught hobby which she took up two years ago.

Marvan Morgan-Harris, a grade six teacher at Kensington Primary School who taught Abigail, is thrilled with her success.

“She made me feel proud. She was the only from my class who passed for Campion College. I was so proud of her, but I knew she could have done it,” she said.

Morgan-Harris described her as a quiet, well-groomed, and excellent child who ‘never gave any trouble’ in class.

“She was a focused student. She was determined, and whenever she gets a task, she ensures that it was done well,” she shared. “She was different. Her parents did a good job in raising her. She is very respectful in her speech and mannerism,” she said.