Leah Stephani Hernandez is a quiet 16-year-old from the village of Yarrowkabra located along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway. She aspires to join the media fraternity where she plans to use her pen to highlight issues and tap into the power of the fourth estate to effect change and bring about awareness.
Leah is currently a work study student with the Guyana Times.
Leah recently sat the Caribbean Examination Council’s Secondary School Exams where she gained Grade One to Three passes in the 15 subjects she wrote. She explains to me that she wrote Mathematics in 2014 and gained a Grade Two and opted not to rewrite it; rather she focused on the other 14 subjects. She obtained Grade Ones in EDPM, English A, English B, Human and Social Biology, Information Technology, Office Administration, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business; Grade Twos in Social Studies, Integrated Science, Food and Nutrition, Agricultural Science; and Grade Threes in Chemistry and Biology.
Leah explains that she is the youngest of three children and for her growing up was unlike any other since she became involved in a number of activities from a young age. Her parents encouraged her to read and write as well as got her involved in the church. As she grew up, Leah devoted more time to studying and got the encouragement to pursue her dreams.
Now she has her eyes set on a career in the media, she is leaving no stone unturned to achieve that.
She attended the Kuru Kuru Primary School and gained a place at Diamond Secondary School after she sat the National Grade Six Assessment but because of the distance, her parents opted for a private school. She initially attended Achievers Academy but wanted to be challenged more so she enrolled at Camille’s Institute for Business and Science Studies where she completed her secondary education.
“I was in the general stream pursuing 15 subjects, combination of business and science subjects. During my time at Camille’s I was given the opportunity to become a part of the debating team and I was also elected to be a part of the Prefect Body in Form Four and moved on to be elected Head Prefect in Form Five. That taught and helped me develop leadership qualities and responsibilities,” she said.
From a young age, Leah knew of the sacrifices her parents made to ensure she had the best possible education. Her father, Ignatius Hernandez, would work two jobs while her mother Wendy Hernandez dedicated her time to caring for the family. So, while there no pressure for her to excel, she knew that she had to do her best to show her parents that their sacrifices were not in vain.
The challenge of writing 14 subjects at one time caught up with Leah since she had to forgo church on Sundays and time with family. She had to attend classes from Monday to Saturday and would use every spare moment to go through her school notes. There was also the challenge of access to the Internet. She explains that because of the absence of phone lines in her village, she would have to purchase a lot of phone cards to activate mobile data plans to access the Internet in order to complete some assignments.
“There was also the challenge of doing 15 subjects and having to find time to study for all. Preparing for CSEC entailed me being at home going through my notes and I would try to understand everything along with extensive research when I wasn’t clear on a topic.”
Leah plans to take a break before heading off the either the University of Guyana or University of the West Indies to read for her Degree in Communication Studies. (Times Sunday Magazine)
