For most students, preparing for CSEC examinations means carefully selecting a handful of subjects and dedicating months to mastering them.
For Nitya Narine, 27 subjects became the challenge she believed she could conquer.
The Tagore Memorial Secondary School student emerged from this year’s CSEC examinations with 26 Grade Ones and one Grade Two, setting a new record in Guyana for the highest number of Grade Ones achieved by a student.
But behind the remarkable results is a young woman whose approach to excellence has never been solely about grades.
Nitya said her preparation began long before she entered the final stages of secondary school.
“I was diligently paying attention in class. And I was up to date with my textbooks and the curriculum, syllabuses, etc.,” she explained.
Once she decided how many subjects she wanted to write, however, her preparation became even more deliberate.
“I came up with it because I believed I could do it. Since I established the goal, if I had worked hard towards it, then my results would have been satisfactory, and it indeed was,” she said.
Her decision to take on 27 subjects was also driven by a desire to see her school excel.
“I wanted to do really well. And on top of that, I wanted to also place my school on top,” she said.
Nitya’s parents, Vishal and Fareza Narine, said they had seen signs of their daughter’s determination from an early age.
Her father recalled that as she progressed through nursery, primary and secondary school, she consistently demonstrated an ability to excel not only academically, but in whatever she chose to pursue.
The couple, both educators, had long encouraged children with academic potential to challenge themselves by taking additional subjects.
When Nitya expressed her own desire to take on an unusually large workload, they decided to support her.
In fact, her father said, the original number was not necessarily 27.
She initially had even more subjects in mind.
Target
Eventually, 27 became the target, and the number carried a little sentimental significance. Nitya had previously participated in the Guyana Learning channel Spelling Bee as contestant number 27, making the number something of a lucky figure for the family.
But taking 27 subjects came with practical challenges.
Tagore Memorial is a government secondary school and did not offer all of the subjects Nitya wanted to pursue. Her parents therefore became heavily involved in her preparation.
Some subjects were taught by her parents, while Nitya taught herself others. For her School-Based Assessments, the family sought assistance from other teachers.
Technical subjects such as Industrial Technology and Technical Drawing were not offered at her school, meaning additional arrangements had to be made outside the school environment.
Her father said teachers and members of the Region Six education community readily offered their support because Nitya was already known for her determination and potential.
With 27 subjects, schoolwork, SBAs, lessons and additional classes, maintaining a normal life could easily have become difficult.
But Nitya insists that studying did not feel like a burden.
“Remember, balance is key,” she said.
She maintained a study timetable that included both her subjects and breaks, while relying on guidance from her parents, school teachers and lesson teachers.
Importantly, she still made time for herself.
“I had time for my hobbies,” she said, pointing specifically to her love for artwork and drawing.
She also made time for social media, friends and simply enjoying herself.
“Everything was balanced, and it did not feel like a burden,” Nitya said.
That balance, perhaps, is one of the most striking aspects of her achievement.
Despite carrying a workload that would overwhelm many students, she did not abandon the interests and activities that made her who she is.
Nitya’s creativity began developing in a much less structured way.
Her father recalled that during the COVID-19 period, when she was at home with little to occupy her, she began doodling like many children.
He noticed her interest and began buying her pastel crayons.
She soon moved beyond simple drawings, experimenting with acrylic paint and canvases.
Pastime
What began as a childhood pastime eventually became another area in which Nitya excelled.
She wrote Visual Arts at CSEC and earned a Grade One, with some guidance from art teachers but largely developing her skills independently.
Her father said much of her artistic growth came through self-learning, experimentation and watching YouTube tutorials.
Along the way, she entered and won local art competitions, earning prizes that included a tablet, a computer for her school and cleaning supplies.
She also participated in the Guyana-China Youth Leadership Programme, where she emerged first.
Her talent was further recognised through an NCERD art competition focused on girls in science, where she emerged among the top 12 participants featured by the organisation.
For Nitya, academic achievement and creativity have never been mutually exclusive.
Her parents said one of the most important lessons they taught Nitya from an early age was not to measure her success solely against the performance of other students.
They encouraged her to strive for excellence nationally, but at school level, the focus was always on doing her personal best rather than simply trying to defeat her classmates.
That mindset helped shape the approach she took to her studies.
Her father Vishal Narine said Nitya consistently pushed herself to maintain marks in the 90s and to continue improving.
The result is a student who has now reached the highest level of academic achievement in Guyana’s CSEC history, but whose ambitions extend far beyond a record.
Nitya now has her sights set on law.
She plans to pursue her studies at the University of Guyana and ultimately become a lawyer.
She has not yet decided which area of law she would like to specialise in.
Rather than choosing prematurely, she wants to explore the various branches of the profession before determining which suits her best.
For now, her immediate goal is clear: continue learning and work towards becoming a lawyer.
And while her 26 Grade Ones have placed her name in Guyana’s academic record books, Nitya’s story is ultimately about much more than examination results.
It is about a child who picked up crayons during a pandemic, a teenager who found time for art, friends and herself while preparing for 27 subjects, and a young woman who set an ambitious goal simply because she believed she could achieve it.
Her parents provided the support, teachers and mentors helped along the way, but Nitya herself supplied the determination.
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