Best Friends Are Fiji’s Year 12 Top Scorers

They are best friends first, and top scorers second.

Shriha Deo, 18, and Demira Lal, 17, were overjoyed yesterday when they were informed that they had scored the country’s highest marks in the 2021 Fiji Year 12 Cer­tificate Examination.

The duo both scored 398/400.

The two Year 12 students of Jai Narayan College at Rewa Street, Samabula, in Suva said they were delighted and ever grateful to be the nation’s Year 12 top achievers.

Jai Narayan College School Prin­cipal Rajendra Kumar said the two girls had made the school and all their teachers proud.

Demira Lal

Demira said her achievement could not have been possible with­out the help of her parents, her brother or hardworking teachers.

“We faced a lot of difficulties at the peak of the pandemic,” she said.

“My family and teachers were very helpful.”

She said her family was her big­gest motivation.

“I’m looking into pursuing en­gineering, either biomedical or chemical engineering.

She also shared words of encour­agement for those who did not pass their Year 12s

“I understand that some didn’t make it; it is not always about marks, there other things you can do like using your skills to pursue other career paths. If you did not make it, I know that someday you will. Keep focusing on doing better, nothing is impossible,” she said.

Shriha Deo

Shriha said being able to score the highest mark in Fiji was a massive achievement for her, despite the impacts COVID-19 had on face-to-face learning.

“It was a really challenging year because we had to study at home for about 7 months without our teachers,” she said.

“Adapting to virtual learning was very hard; it was difficult in that sense, but our teachers were very dedicated in giving us the right education.

“Our teachers, parents and class­mates were very supportive; it was challenging but we made it.”

She said while she was not expect­ing such a major result, she was nonetheless grateful for the out­come of her hard work.

“I am grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to score the highest. I am very thankful.”

The 18-year-old dedicated her achievement to her family, espe­cially her parents, as well as her teachers and all those who sup­ported her leading up to the exams.

She added that it had always been a childhood dream to pursue a ca­reer in the medical field and she was on her way to making that dream a reality.

Her advice to others was: “To those that did not make it, I want to encourage you not to give up; do not lose hope. Stay motivated, stay focused and never see failure as something to stop you from achiev­ing your goals.”