Coming from the small riverine Indigenous community of Orealla, nestled several miles up the Corentyne River, 17-year-old Laurex Vandenburg has proven that determination and belief can overcome the greatest of challenges. Against the odds, he has risen to the top of Region Six in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations, securing an outstanding 16 grade ones and two grade twos after sitting an impressive 18 subjects.
Laurex, who dreams of becoming a mechanical engineer, said he drew strength from the unwavering support of his family, friends, and community. Knowing that Orealla was looking to him with hope, he pushed himself beyond his limits.
“I couldn’t disappoint these people; I had to do well,” he told The News Desk.
His journey, however, was far from easy. After excelling at primary school, Laurex earned a place at Berbice High School and was also given the option to attend President’s College. Yet, he chose Skeldon Line Path Secondary School, a little closer to home, even though it meant navigating the difficult transition from river life to life on the coast.
Laurex admitted that his serious studying only began two weeks before the exams, when it dawned on him that these results would shape his future. From then on, late nights, exhaustion, and overwhelming pressure became his daily routine.
“That caused a lot of difficulties for me because I had more to study, I had more to catch up on and there were a lot of things I did not know so that also came with a lot of burn out, a lot of stress, a lot of doubting myself because I could not complete majority of the syllabus in studying and I also was not able to understand the topics fully and that’s where doubting myself came in.”
In the end, his resilience carried him across the finish line.
Reflecting on his experience, Laurex has a message for students preparing for CSEC:
“There will be time when you will feel like youre too tire to do this or too tire to do that but you have to put in that extra effort now or you may be discouraged that you cant grasp something but if you put that effort into studying or trying your best to achieve certain goal at csec then you will be able to do great things.”
One of his biggest challenges was the lure of social media, which often stole precious hours from his study time. But with gentle pressure from his mother, his greatest motivator alongside supportive teachers who patiently guided him through his SBA struggles, and friends who kept his spirits up, Laurex found the discipline he needed.
Now, with his sights set firmly on the future, Laurex will continue his studies in mechanical engineering at the Technical Institute before moving on to the University of Guyana.
For Orealla, a proud community that has long struggled with access to secondary education, Laurex’s achievement is nothing short of historic. While most children had to leave the village after Grade Six to pursue secondary schooling on the coast, the Government has since invested in the construction of the first secondary school in Orealla, ensuring that future generations can chase their dreams right at home.
