Shristi Inspired By Sole Breadwinner

I can see the hard work put in by my father to support the family and that inspired me to be successful in school.

These were the heartfelt words of Tilak High School Year 13 student, Shristi Sharma, who achieved the highest academic mark for the school in the Fiji Year 12 Certificate Examination (FY12CE) last year.

The 17-year-old of Saru, Lautoka scored 385 out of 400 marks. The pure arts student attained a mark of 90 in English, 99 in Mathematics, 99 in Computer Studies and 97 in Accounting.

Shristi said she was inspired by her father, Sunil Sharma who is the sole breadwinner of her family of four. Mr Sharma is a self-employed carpenter and only has the opportunity to work when a job is available.

“When COVID-19 happened, my father was without job for some time and we faced difficulties,” she said.

“I saw how he had to work hard and look for ways to earn an income to support us, he inspired me to get this mark.

“This achievement is not for me, it goes towards the hard work of my parents.”

She said her mother, Sharin Devi and brother, Shanil Sharma were also of great support towards her education.

Shristi is aiming to score a higher mark this year and has future plans to join the University of the South Pacific (USP) to pursue her studies in the field of accounting.

She thanked her teacher, Jashoda Chand, and her family for guiding her along the way last year.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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