A rising young academic star from Antigua and Barbuda has cemented her reputation as one of the country’s most promising business students after claiming two prestigious honors from international accounting firm Grant Thornton. Axleigh Akez, a former standout student at Ottos Comprehensive School, was honored with the firm’s annual Accounting and Business Awards in recognition of her exceptional performance on the 2025 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
The award presentation, held recently at Grant Thornton’s Old Parham Road office, marked another milestone in Akez’s academic journey: the young scholar already earned distinction as Ottos Comprehensive’s top-performing CSEC student for the 2025 examination cycle, and the Grant Thornton honor adds a second major accolade to her growing list of achievements. Following her outstanding CSEC results, Akez progressed to tertiary education at the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS), where she is currently enrolled as a second-year student in the institution’s School of Business and Accounting.
Grant Thornton launched its annual Accounting and Business Awards program with a clear dual mission: to celebrate exceptional academic accomplishment among secondary school students, and to nurture the next generation of professional talent by encouraging young people to pursue long-term careers in accounting and business. The awards have become a respected fixture in Antigua and Barbuda’s education landscape, creating incentives for high-achieving students to build careers in the nation’s finance and commercial sectors.
In remarks following the presentation, Akez expressed gratitude to Jehovah God for guiding her through her studies and supporting her journey to this achievement. The young student emphasized that she remains committed to staying focused on both her ongoing academic work and her long-term professional goals, as she works toward building a career in the accounting field. Her family and close friends have joined in celebrating the milestone, reaffirming their ongoing support for Akez as she continues her tertiary education and advances toward her professional objectives.