La'Toya Webster
Writer-SKNVibes.com
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| 2006 State Scholar Shauntel Liburd |
Basseterre, St. Kitts (October 5, 2006): An 18-year-old by the name of Shauntel Liburd is the new State Scholar of St. Kitts and Nevis. The announcement was made on September 28.
Liburd first got her start in education by attending the Victoria Road Preschool, Dr. William Connor Primary, Washington Archibald High and then the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College.
She said that when she heard the announcement of her name as the new state scholar she was bubbling inside.
"It's a real good feeling, makes you feel like the hard work paid off a bit more," she said. "It's an honor really and a little difficult to put into words other than to simply say I'm feeling a lot of emotions at once."
While in school Liburd did not have a favourite subject but enjoyed a number of subjects where she worked hard to figure out what areas she wants to pursue.
"I haven't made an official decision within myself but I'm leaning towards maybe something in Accounting or Economics as a profession, I'm still trying to figure that out," she said.
Liburd revealed that this has not been her first reward for her academic talents and has won numerous awards in the past.
"Well, I've won awards before and prizes mainly at Speech Days and other such events at high school but nothing ever this important or noteworthy," she said.
While in college she obtained Pure Mathematics Units 1&2, Accounting Units 1& 2, Caribbean Studies, Communication Studies, Statistical Analysis and Applied Mathematics.
With these subjects Liburd plans to make good use of them, "I don't have an outright plan, what I hope mainly is that by then I would be working and doing something that I love to do in the next five to ten years, by then I would be content," said Liburd.
Currently she works at Pannell Kerr Foster as an Accountant and is very active in the community.
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| Graduated from Washington Archibald High School |
She believes that the current crime situation that young people are involved in is ridiculous.
"The whole situation is just confusing to me simply because I can't understand for the life of me why it is that things are getting so out of hand," she said.
"Everything is so much easier than it was before and it seems everyone (especially young people) are taking this all for granted just for the chance to say that they grew up rough or had a hard life, which is just ridiculous."
She added: "The hard life ended decades ago and compared to now young people have everything handed to them. I imagine maybe that is the problem, we simply have it too easy to care about what we do or what our consequences are because the handouts will still be there and the amenities will still be present. And we still won't have to work hard or as hard to get what we want. It's just ridiculous now."
"I figure if you engage young people teach them and "keep them busy" then you reduce the opportunities for them to fall to the wayside," Liburd suggested.
"Or have them be involved in ill deeds. Simply if you don't challenge young people to stand up for something, then they'll drift into nothingness or violence whatever the case may be."
As the new state scholar Liburd will wishes to pass on a few words of encouragement to other youth such as her.
"To achieve great things in life, the most important thing is to stick with your dreams and goals and work to achieve them. Anything is attainable if you are willing to give extra effort when a challenge arises and you keep on trying until you have reached your goal or goals as the case may be," she expressed.
~~Adz:Right~~She also mentioned that her mother is an important factor, and very supportive of her, she expressed that there isn't anyone who believes in her more than her mother. Everything she knows was taught by her mother, also the fact that she hates failing especially when she feels that something is within her grasp was something inherited from her mother.
The 18-year-old state scholar wishes to thank all of her lecturers at the CFBC, her mother and family, her friends, for all of their support and especially God for without his help this would not have been possible.
