Devontae Banner and Shedequa Miller are Davis Primary’s top PEP performers

The youngster from Bannister District, Old Harbour recently emerged as the top boy for Davis Primary School much to the delight of his family who lauded him for his tenacity and dedication to working hard for what he wanted.

Banner, who goes off to Kingston College in September, is the youngest of four children. His mother Andrea states that Devontae is a special kind of child who knows his capabilities and uses it to his advantage.

“He uses music to study. He will study by himself. Music he says makes him focus more,” she says.

Banner was so super focused that he earned top marks in the exams, a feat that even his family was pleasantly surprised at.

“When he called me from school to tell me the results I asked him if he was pranking me,” she recounted. “It was when I realised it was true that I was moved to tears. To know where he is coming from, I am eternally grateful. I know the sky is the limit. I wish for him everything he wants to achieve.”

Though he initially had hopes for a placement at St. Jago High, Devontae is still pleased that the purple halls of Kingston College will embrace him when the new school term commences.

“I usually study two to three hours daily. I found PEP to be hard, especially the maths but I had attended extra lessons and knew what I needed to do to excel,” said Banner who is a science enthusiast because it is full of mysteries. “I was kind of surprised at the school I was sent to as I didn’t expect KC at all but I’m happy as it is still a very elite institution and I know I will do well there.”

“I love science because I enjoy doing chemical experiments,” he continued during our telephone interview. “I just love it.” Whenever he’s not studying young Banner enjoys indulging in his hobbies of cricket and football.

The future engineer is all about using science to be creative as he intends to make the world a better place, adding: “That is why Elon Musk is my role model.”
“I hope to be just like him when I grow up,” he said.

Like Banner, the family of Shedequa Miller, is over the moon celebrating her achievements as the top girl in PEP at Davis Primary.

Long nights of studying were all par for the course for Miller; and for all her hard work, she was recently rewarded with a placement at Glenmuir High School.

Her mother Melissa Johnson-Swaby could not be more delighted.

“I really wasn’t surprised as I knew she had done well,” said Johnson-Swaby. “She worked consistently well and I’m so proud of her as I didn’t have to force her to take up her books. She is generally good at determining when to do what but I would ensure that when it comes on to tests, she buckled down.”

Being a light sleeper, Shedequa will go to bed early, wake up and study, set her alarm to wake up for school and go back to bed. That, her mother said, is a testament to her dedication and level of independent thinking most children do not display at such an early age.

The cosmetologist from Claremont Heights, Old Harbour feels reassured that if her second child remains that dedicated going into her high school years, she will undoubtedly achieve great things.

“My dream is to ensure that she reaches her true potential. She says she wants to be a doctor, so I will do everything I can to ensure that she gets the proper education that she needs in order to make that happen.”

For Shedequa, all those Saturday classes and extra lessons were just a stepping stone to what she wanted: a great placement in PEP that would make her family proud.

“I felt happy as my family and friends were very proud of me getting into Glenmuir,” she said. “PEP was not that hard but language arts posed a challenge that I had to overcome. I enjoy mathematics because while it is challenging, I like a challenge. I also am excited to attend Glenmuir, meet new people, make new friends and find out more about my new school.”
Her mother, she said, is her role model because she has always been a hard worker.
“And I want to be as hard-working and resilient as her,” said Shedequa.