A former student of Vaz Preparatory School in Kingston, Jabari, who now attends Campion College, attained the highest GSAT scores in Science, as well as Composition and language Arts.

Described as a consistent all-rounder, his accomplishments include being the KFC Quiz Captain of the Year, first speaker of Vaz’s debate team, in addition to being captain of the chess team.

While at Vaz, he won nine awards at the school’s prize-giving ceremony, having emerged the top performer in every category.

Prudence Dyer, Jabari’s grade six teacher, says it came as little surprise when he was awarded Scotiabank’s prize for the top GSAT boy performer as he was consistently at the top of the class.

A student who does not settle for mediocrity, Jabari remembers when he placed second in fourth grade; a period which he said was a ‘wake-up’ call for him to improve his performance. He has not looked back since.

He describes his teachers’ GSAT preparation classes over the years as being far much harder than the actual exam itself, acknowledging if it hadn’t been for that hard work, he would not have excelled as expected.

Jabari says he was encouraged to attend Campion College because of its high standards and excellent CXC passes.

He has found it a great school since he began attending there last September. He rates math, history and science as his favourite subjects, adding that the work at his new school is quite challenging.

Although he can be extremely competitive at academics, Jabari sees himself as an average person who simply makes the best use of his abilities. He is also an avid swimmer and lawn tennis player.

While he reads a lot, he modestly admits that he does not study “very often” during the week, although playing chess makes him a better thinker.

At home, he can often be found playing chess on his computer with online opponents, preferring instead to leave the television to his sisters.

Heather Hastings says her son, who delights in provoking his two sisters, is also a tough drillmaster when they have school tests, frequently reminding them they cannot afford to disgrace the family name.

Jabari’s form teacher, Rayan McIntosh, who also teaches him math, describes him as “a very bright, curious student and problem solver who is not afraid to ask teachers what he could have done better to improve his work.”

Occasionally, he will challenge her over a math problem during class, which she welcomes, as it opens the minds of his classmates to other possibilities in solving problems.

A firm believer in maintaining a balance between academics and sports, Jabari has some sound advice for students.

“Don’t value sports over schoolwork, because if you get injured, it can affect your entire career. And if you value books over sports, don’t overstress it. Try to maintain a mix.”

The quiet, reserved 13-year-old student, who now attends Campion College, achieved the highest GSAT scores for Mathematics and Social Studies, at the same time scoring full marks for Composition.

A keen geography student who’s also a member of he school’s science club, Alanna says she chose to attend Campion because of the high academic standards associated with that institution.

Lorna James-Dobson, who is Alanna’s form and geography teacher at Campion, describes the quiet, oft-spoken student as a friendly, disciplined and extremely hard worker who is consistently a top performer.

“She always strives for excellence and always provides neat work. A few times, she’ll make careless mistakes, but don’t even think about that. She’s an ‘A’ student,” said James-Dobson.

This is clearly supported in Alanna’s results in the school’s end-of-term examinations last year, in which she scored straight A’s in at least six subjects.

Ava Campbell, Alanna’s former sixth-grade teacher at St. Peter and Paul, recalls her past student as being extremely focused when completing class assignments.

“When you give her the work, she starts right away and finishes very quickly, usually in a matter of minutes. She’s not going to get anything wrong as she’s always scoring perfect marks.”

Alanna reserves time each day during the week to study, as well as review class notes in preparation for school the next day. However, she usually takes a break from the books on weekends, particularly Saturdays, which are usually reserved for dance classes.

Although her parents assist with homework from time to time, Alanna is extremely independent when it comes to researching her assignments, which she does at the school library, as well as on the internet.

Veronica Duncan-Taylor, Alanna’s mother says her daughter, who is extremely creative with her hands, particularly in art and crochet, also possesses superb organizational skills.

“Usually, when I ask her what help I can give, she’ll look straight at me and say, ‘Mommy I’m fine. I know what to do.’ I am confident knowing that her success rests with her as well as her teachers.”

One of Alanna’s goals is to own and operate her own company someday, although right now she’s not sure exactly what type of business.

For students who are seeking the formula for success, Alanna advises that they keep focused as well as study hard so they can achieve great things.