Marlie Mount’s top girl Nyassia Gordon ‘Immaculate’

The Marlie Mount head girl had her eyes set on becoming a Campionite long before she sat the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exams for grade six students. However, it wasn’t to be her destiny as she was placed at Immaculate Conception High after registering a fantastic placement score of 336.5 or 93.4% in the national standardized exams for students seeking to continue their education at the secondary level.

After a long chat and much reassurance from her mother that all is not lost, the 12-year-old is looking forward to stamp her class at the all-girl institution on Constant Spring Road.

“I wanted to do well in my exams because I really wanted to go to Campion College.

“I also wanted to try and get the government scholarship especially for my mother and to make her proud.

“I just tell myself that when I go to Immaculate I am going to try my best and focus more than I was focusing in middle school, and I am trying not to make the same mistakes that I made in middle school and that I can fully develop and learn from my mistakes.

“I underestimated a lot of things in middle school especially in the examinations. I didn’t necessarily study a lot which I am going to try and improve on in high school,” she told Old Harbour News while pointing to how “very stressful” preparing for the final round of exams was.

Tatrecia Mitchell is Nyassia’s mom, who described her eldest of three children as a very intelligent child who “goes very deep” into matters or topics being discussed.

As someone who was raised in a state care home, Mitchell knows very well what disappointment feels like. But she is happy for those lessons she had learned, as it is those experiences she tapped into to help Nyassia overcome her disappointment.

“When I saw Immaculate I was happy she got her second choice,” she said, while noting her daughter was always a high achiever.

“When she came in the room I hugged her and she started to cry and then I said to her that she is still at a top school in Jamaica and it’s still a great pass… I explained to her that for Campion and Immaculate I wouldn’t say first or second choice; it’s one or the other.”

Nyassia added: “I was actually on my way home when my mother texted me and said ‘Immaculate. Second choice’. I was actually sad and disappointed that I didn’t get my first choice, however, when I reached home my mother assured me that I did well and that I will surely do well at Immaculate and that God placed me there for a reason.”

One can understand Nyassia’s dissatisfaction. Indeed for the past few years she has been attending private swimming lessons and chess classes at Campion College, arguably Jamaica’s most coveted secondary institution.

Prior to now Nyassia says she knew nothing about Immaculate Conception High, but has since done some research and is impressed by its achievements and of those who wore the famed all white tunic.

Given the consistency in her academic performance, the anticipation is that Nyassia will continue to excel along the same vain, but Mitchell is mindful of the weight of expectation on her young shoulders.

The proud mom is confident that Nyassia will blossom where she’s planted.

“Wherever she goes she does well,” said the mother. “So I know she has the ability to do well.”

As they both look ahead, Nyassia at this moment is habouring thoughts of becoming a doctor or engineer. However, her mom, who is employed as a customer care representative at the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) and privately works as a personal fitness trainer, believes she will become an entrepreneur.

Nyassia helps her mom running the home, helping out by making the grocery list, managing WhatsApp groups, following up with events being planned while being very active in church, she said.
“She keeps me on my Ps and Qs. She loves to correct me in my conversations. I never knew I was that bad at English until I am having a conversation with her sometimes,” said Mitchell, who is her daughter’s biggest inspiration.

“She always knows how to make me happy even in sad times. And even when she is struggling with her emotions she always try to put the best out for us and be strong for us” Nyassia said.

Mitchell will have it all to do over again come September as her second child enters her final year at Marlie Mount, but for now she’s taking “a breather” to bask in the moment of a fantastic accomplishment given her personal struggles growing up inside a girl’s home.

“Growing up in a children’s home you were so limited and so what I have done for all my children is that I tapped into every single structure that exists and prepare them as they come. So if I see where she’s at she can reach higher, I expand it for her. I try my best not to limit any of my kids because of knowledge of what I know or what I can afford.”