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Simply the best: Meet 2025’s top SEA performers

Bavina Sookdeo Many students awaited the release of the 2025 SEA results on July 3 at 11pm. While the night brought joy to many, five students had even more reason to celebrate on July 4, when the Ministry of Education named them as the top performers this year. Newsday spoke to the Sandhya Maharaj of Macaulay Government Primary School, Nicholas Dolly of Chaguanas Government Primary School, Kailash Dialsingh of Exchange Presbyterian Primary School, Ashlyn Ramkissoon of Jordan Hill Presbyterian Primary School and Xavier Telesford, a private candidate, to ask them about their SEA journey. When Sandhya Maharaj found out she passed for Naparima Girls’ High School, she said she was “elated but stayed calm” because she knew after the exam was completed that she would be passing for Naparima Girls’ High School.” Her biggest challenge was “understanding that it’s okay to not get everything correct all the time. It’s important not to let negative comments throw you off track from your goal.” With the loving support of her family, she overcame the hurdles. When she’s not studying, Maharaj enjoys playing games and making DIY candles, face masks and scrubs. She would like to become a doctor or a lawyer and explained that God, her parents, teachers Shiromani Maharaj and Kerry Durgah, her grandparents and aunts all kept her going when she felt stressed. Now that SEA is over, Maharaj plans to spend time with her cousins, have fun and make good memories Nicholas Dolly will be heading to Presentation College, Chaguanas. He said, “I was confident about passing for my first choice, however, it was my class teacher, Florance Rampersad, who believed I could top the SEA. I felt so happy that I had made my school, teachers and parents very proud.” For Dolly, staying focused all the time was the hardest part. “But my parents helped me make a study schedule and we added little breaks and rewards, which made it easier,” he said. Dolly loves playing chess with his friends, watching YouTube videos and playing video games. He dreams of becoming an investment banker and plans to resume chess training and representing Trinidad in overseas chess tournaments. His motivation came from his parents and teachers who were always encouraging him even when he felt like progress was slow. “Consistency and discipline are key to success” he said. Now that the hard work is over Dolly has taken the opportunity to play video games all day. “But I would like to eat ice cream for breakfast just once” he admitted. For Ashlyn Ramkissoon, passing for Naparima Girls’ High School was a dream come true. “My initial reaction was a burst of happiness and excitement,” she said. “However, as my brain processed the information and I reflected on all the sacrifices, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and gratefulness to God.” [caption id="attachment_1166231" align="alignnone" width="575"] Ashlyn Ramkissoon on graduation day at Jordan Hill Presbyterian. -[/caption] The toughest part of the SEA journey she shared was balancing work and relaxation but her parents stepped in with a helpful schedule and if she felt genuinely tired or overwhelmed after school, she could take the evening off from any extra studies. Still, the biggest contributing factor to overcoming the challenges of SEA was the fact that Ramkissoon always felt supported. Ramkissoon loves reading, watching movies and playing video games. She hopes to become a doctor and a successful entrepreneur. Her biggest motivator during SEA prep was her personal desire to attend Naparima Girls’ High School. Now that SEA is behind her, she’s excited to catch up on her relationship with her bed. Kailash Dialsingh couldn’t stop smiling when he saw his high SEA marks. Although he excelled, his biggest challenge was staying focused amid all the classes and constant practice. “I tried making the work fun, so that I didn’t feel bored or overwhelmed,” he said. “My parents also encouraged me by working with me and giving me a break when I needed it.” When Dialsingh is not studying, he enjoys writing Shark Puppet comics with his big brother, playing steelpan and video games and reading Famous Five books. His dream is to become an astronaut and spacecraft propulsion scientist. [caption id="attachment_1166232" align="alignnone" width="768"] Kailash Dialsingh of Exchange Presbyterian Primary School., -[/caption] Dialsingh was motivated by a strong desire to join his brother, Pranav, at Naparima College and now that exams are over, he’s building a space game on Unity. “I really hope to see a real NASA spacecraft this summer” he added. Xavier Telesford, who passed for Queen’s Royal College, said he was “excited and proud.” His biggest challenge was avoiding careless mistakes in English and Creative Writing. “There’s so little time and so much to write,” he said. Practice helped. He likes watching television, playing games and going outside. He hopes to become a footballer or musician. “My parents kept me motivated,” he added. His celebration plan is to visit family and play video games.” The post Simply the best: Meet 2025’s top SEA performers appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.