At just 15 years old, Clovett Scott has taken her place among university students.
The teenager from South St James recently started classes at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Western Jamaica Campus, a milestone that places her years ahead of most Jamaican students her age.
“I started high school at 10 years old, which is why I completed by 15,” she told THE STAR.
“When I got my acceptance letter, I was overjoyed. I didn’t know I could be accepted with just CSEC results.”
Students in Jamaica typically sit CSEC exams at 16 or 17. Clovett has already completed eight subjects before her 16th birthday, earning three grade ones and five grade twos across mathematics, English, Spanish, literature, and the sciences.
Her academic acceleration began in primary school. Teachers observed her tackling both grade two and grade three workloads with ease, and she was later assessed by a clinical psychologist who confirmed her IQ was above average for her age group. Educators considered placing her directly into high school, but her grandmother resisted.
“They had wanted to move me immediately, but my grandma thought I couldn’t manage,” Clovett recalled. “So they let me skip only one grade instead.”
That compromise allowed her to advance while still adjusting socially, and by age 10 she was a first-former at Westwood High School in Trelawny.
Her grandmother, who has since passed away, remained central to her story.
“She was my biggest supporter. If I could tell her one thing right now, it would be ‘Thank you,'” Clovett said.
Family sacrifices shaped the rest of her journey. Growing up in South St James, she lived in a community where reliable water, Internet and phone service are limited. Her parents decided to send her to live with her grandmother so she could attend a stronger school. Later, when secondary school beckoned, they enrolled her as a boarder at Westwood rather than allow her to travel long distances daily.
“I begged them to make me a day student, but they didn’t want me on the road alone,” she said. “It was more expensive, but they sacrificed for my safety. I’m extremely grateful, because I don’t think I’d be here without that.”
Click HERE to read article
Source: Jamaica Star
