Pomeroon teacher is CPCE’s top performer

Aug 29, 2019 News

Ateisha Brandt of Region Two has topped the country at the level of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) this year. The 19-year-old, who passed with distinction by virtue of her straight A’s performance, told this publication that she was exhilarated when she heard the news that she not only topped her class, but the country as well.

Top CPCE performer, Ateisha Brandt

However, her performance comes as no surprise. Brandt, who hails from Grant Apple Dale Lower Pomeroon, has a top performing track record. She attended Marlborough Primary School, where she was the top student at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA). She later attended the Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary School and there she secured the 8th position in the country at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level with 15 grade ones and two grade two passes.
Brandt, who is now a teacher at the Marlborough Primary School in the lower Pomeroon, said that teaching wasn’t exactly her first choice; nevertheless the profession is one that she loves and enjoys. “Teaching was my only option after I finished secondary school because I couldn’t afford to attend university to pursue my dream career which is psychology. I pursued many avenues to gain a scholarship but they all led to dead ends. Today, I do enjoy teaching because even though I am the teacher, I still learn many of life’s most important lessons from those innocent minds I teach,” she admitted.
For most teachers in the Pomeroon, attending CPCE is often described as a challenge. This is primarily due to the distance they have to travel. For Brandt the experience was similar. According to the top performer, “attending College from the Pomeroon was quite challenging. Not only was transportation and the cost the main factors which contributed to these challenges, but it was often fatiguing because of the distance as well as the fact that I had to teach and attend College at the same time. But these (challenges) together helped me to grow and become the person I am today.”
More importantly, Brandt said that she was able to face her challenges with prayers, adding, “Prayers played a very vital part in my road to success…”
She proudly went on to share that “it is through our difficult times that God gets closer to us and helps us to realize his purpose for us. So I can give all thanks to Almighty God for his grace and everlasting mercies”
“Also, I wish to acknowledge the constant source of emotional support which I received from my family, close friends and some of the supportive staff of the Marlborough Primary School,” she added. According to Brandt, the support she received from the former head teacher of Marlborough Primary, as well as the Head of Centre and lecturers (CPCE), also played a vital part in leading to her success.