18th August 2012, St. John’s Antigua- Adia Crump is the country’s newest Island Scholar. The daughter of Bernadette Merchant-Joseph and Aldin Crump passed eight subjects in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) with all grade ones and twos.
Crump, who discovered her achievement via the media, said on hearing the news she was excited and surprised.
“I really didn’t expect the phone call because I didn’t even know that I got it,” she said. “I was excited, big smiles on my face. It was amazing.”
The avid dancer attributed her faith in God and discipline to her outstanding achievements.
“You have to be completely disciplined. You have to know when it’s time to study and when it’s time to relax,” she said, as she advised other students to avoid procrastination and to develop an attitude of “sticking with it.”
Crump, a Cassada Gardens resident, has been accepted into the University of the West Indies (UWI) Undergraduate programme at the Antigua State College and plans to study Accounting and Finance. She will spend two years there and is hoping to spend her final year at the UWI Cavehill campus in Barbados.
As is customary, the Island Scholar will receive US $20,000 (EC $54,000) towards tertiary education at any university of her choice.
Crump, 17, passed Accounting unit one (grade 1) and unit two (grade 1), Economics unit one (grade 2) and unit two (grade 2), Management of Business unit one (grade 2) and unit two (grade 1), Communication Studies (grade 1) and Caribbean Studies (grade2).
Most CAPE subjects are two-unit exams, meaning that a student will take one exam at the end of each year at The Antigua State College (ASC). Other subjects, such as Communication Studies, Caribbean Studies and Statistics are one-unit.
The Island Scholarship is awarded to the ASC student with the top performance at CAPE. Last year no student met the basic criteria to be considered Island Scholar.
“I am very pleased that we have upped our standard this year and our level of achievement has gone back to where it used to be,” said Executive Secretary of the Board of Education and part-time lecturer at The Antigua State College, D Gisele Isaac.
In order to be considered, a candidate must have the equivalent of ones and twos in 3 subjects, taking into account both units for two-unit subjects. The candidate must sit at least three subjects and pass Communication Studies and under the points system cannot score more than 11 points.
The point system gives for each unit: one point for each Grade 1, two points for each Grade 2 and three points for each Grade 3.
On the question of whether the financial crunch at the Board would affect scholarships, Isaac explained that $1.5 million is always allocated for the disbursement of new scholarships and the situation is no different this year.
“The Island Scholarship is always in our budget,” she said. “We have not reduced our budget for scholarships.”
The Board of Education’s executive secretary congratulated Crump on her achievement.
“I want to congratulate the Island Scholar, as well as those who were in contention for that position, on having done well,” she said. “I hope that this is not the end of the academic achievement but a springboard to bigger better things.”
Ministry of Education officials lauded Crump’s performance, as well as the four other students who performed commendably – Jeniece St Romaine, Shakeema Edwards, Jamal Solomon, and Lamoy James.
