By Janelle Christie
It is often said that your past does not determine your future. Seventeen-year-old Daveen Scott, a graduate of the Ferncourt High School in Claremont, St Ann, is today a clear demonstration of this saying.
Before sitting the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) at Brown’s Town Primary School, Daveen said she never thought she “would ever pass for a traditional high school”. She says she did not believe in herself and that she relied on encouragement from others. To add to her doubtfulness, her father who she says was her “biggest supporter,” became ill just before her GSAT.
To the surprise of Daveen Scott, in June of 2012, she came to know of her placement at Ferncourt High School. Although she was placed in what was considered to be the class with the lowest average, Daveen said the new atmosphere of high school that September was “welcoming and I felt very comfortable”. Her happiness, however, did not last long as her “biggest supporter”, her father, passed on less than a month later, in November.
This for Daveen was a stumbling block and she started skipping classes as she felt that was “the best way to get over” her father’s death. Her mother, Esrenia Scott was now widowed, with three children, Daveen being the eldest.
Daveen said that at times, her mother’s finances were not sufficient for all three off springs and that she too was affected as it worried her.
Although she was still skipping classes up until grade nine and making multiple visits to the principal’s office for delinquency, Daveen still managed to repeatedly be one of those students on the principal’s Honour Roll.
By the time Daveen decided “I can’t continue like this,” she was stuck with a nickname, “Skullo” given to her by her peers because of her truancy. ‘Skullo’ ignored the many attempts of her best friend Shadene Cameron, who tried hard to encourage her to attend classes.
THE CHANGE
After choosing her CSEC subject in grade nine, ‘Skullo’ was no more as Daveen, after some time of thought, saw her mother’s tireless efforts and applied a worthwhile change of behavior.
When asked about the impact of the change on her life, Daveen told The North Coast Times “it felt good looking back from where I am coming from…changing is not that bad after all”.
In grade ten, Daveen became very involved with school affairs. Her friend Shadene was still there to encourage her on her new journey. They both became a part of the student council and Daveen was nominated as the vice president of the student council and Shadene as the secretary and public relation officer (PRO).
Later that year, the National Secondary Students’ Council competition was opened and both Daveen and Shadene entered. Daveen was selected as the region three (St Ann and Trelawny) president with Shadeen as vice president.
Daveen went on to grade eleven where she maintained her leadership.
Daveen was this time elected as the president of the students’ council at Ferncourt with Shadene as her deputy. Both girls played a role in the school’s graduation Ceremony on Wednesday, June 22, Daveen being one of the two salutatorians.
Daveen was entered as a candidate for the 2017 May/ June CSEC examination. She sat eight subjects and is awaiting her results, before moving on to grade 12 at the Ferncourt High School to complete her CAPE. Daveen dreams of becoming a nurse and encourages other youths like her to “Trust in God, look at where your family is coming from and where you want to go …never stop believing in yourself, give it your all and you’ll accomplish something.”
