Orette: Cutting a path to success through perseverance

Oct 17, 2012 Sports

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By Michael Benjamin
Recently, there has been an outcry by many young people exiting the school system over the unavailability of jobs on par with their academic achievements.

Many turn to sports only to discover grave difficulties in attaining top accolades in their respective choices. Others become frustrated and deviate from their set goals and into less than complimentary vocations that oft times define their future and by extension, that of their very existence.
Orette Cutting (jr) may be categorized as someone exiting the school system with glowing academic achievements after procuring lucrative grades at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination including 6 grade ones, three grade twos and one grade three.
His successes are in English A and B, and Human and Social Biography among other subjects but though satisfied with the fruits of his labour, the youngster is most delighted with his grade one achievement in Physical Education and Sport where he copped a Grade A. During his school days he had excelled in athletics, yet found enough time to concentrate on his academics, evident in his eventual performance.
They say that school life prepares one for the challenges of adulthood but Orette, while trusting the wisdom of his mentors, never envisaged the difficulties and challenges associated with such transitional changes and therefore, was a mite unprepared for the ‘truth.’
After leaving school, he decided to ‘cool his heels’ for a while before engaging in the arduous task of job hunting.
In the interim, he continued to pursue his dreams as an athlete. Shortly afterwards, he earned a place on a team selected to participate in an invitational meet in Barbados. He did not come away with any lucrative medal but the lesson learned at that meet was invaluable.
“I immediately noticed the type of interaction between the athletes and their respective coaches,” he said. According to him, the coaches’ input was personal where each coach paid specific attention to individual athletes, correcting faults thus creating the environment for improvement of their charges. “I had never experienced such intimate attention here in Guyana and yearned for such since I believe it could be the catalyst to the achievement of lucrative international accolades,” posited Orette.
He is adamant that such ploys could see positive changes within the local athletic sector and by extension, an improvement in the performance and accomplishments of local athletes.
A soft spoken, self assured young man, Orette is adamant that sports achievement means absolutely nothing devoid of academic achievements. As such, he has every intention of continuing his studies since he also wants to manage his own business.
Already, he has taken the first step in this direction when he attempted to complete registration at the University of Guyana just before the commencement of the 2012 semester.
His hopes were dashed when he was told he was a mite late and would have to postpone his ambitions until the new term. Orette is unperturbed and is presently putting the necessary modalities in place for the next registration period.
His dad, Orette (snr), manages his own transportation business while his mother Abigail teaches at St Agnes Primary School. Both parents are extremely proud of him and wish that their son, not necessarily follow their footsteps, but to be successful in whatever vocation he chooses.
“I instill in my son the importance of being a true role model in action rather than words,” advocates Mr. Cutting. He said that his son is focused and has all the attributes of a successful businessman. He also said that he is pleased with Junior’s sports achievements and is prepared to support him all the way.
“I believe he has the determination and application and my duty as a father is to inspire him to believe in himself,” he said.
His mother supports this theory while emphasizing the importance of moral and spiritual balance. She said that her son is multi-talented but he must be able to find the singular gift that supersedes the others and use it to positively influence the lives of those with whom he comes in contact.
However, the senior Cutting is prepared to give his son the requisite freedom to make his choices. He is confident that with his perceptive mind and academic brilliance his son could realize his aspirations. Evidence to support this conclusion is apparent in his son’s expert assessment of his Barbados sojourn.
In the meantime, the younger Cutting remains focused even as he awaits that opportunity to prove to his parents and the world at large that he is different from the run of the mill youth who gives up just at the brink of success. He feels that perseverance wins out.
NB: Shortly after completing this article, the writer was informed that young Orette had clinched a job at ‘Buddy’s’ working under the tutelage of a senior manager of that firm.

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