Eleven-year-old Jeremi Wright, a graduating student from St Cyprian’s Boys’ School, has closed out his primary education on a historic high note, securing a perfect score in mathematics and an acceptance to his first-choice institution: Harrison College.
The young achiever received his Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination results this Monday, and he said he could not contain his joy when he saw he had claimed a place at the campus he had set his sights on months earlier. “I felt excited that I would be going to my first choice,” Jeremi shared.
As a Class Four student who spent months gearing up for the high-stakes entrance exam, he entered the test center feeling grounded and prepared. Months of consistent practice, including nearly daily practice exams, left him confident that the official test would feel familiar. “I was confident knowing that I did exams almost every day that it would basically be the same thing,” he explained. Beyond his regular school coursework, Jeremi also committed to two extra tutoring sessions each week – a commitment he admitted was not always easy, since “I wanted to stay home, though.”
His mother, Shamelia Wright, says she never felt overwhelming stress during Jeremi’s exam preparation period, because her son has always been a consistently dedicated learner. “It was not nerve-wracking or anything like that. He is generally a good student,” she noted. Shamelia credited St Cyprian’s structured preparation program and frequent regular testing, particularly in mathematics, as key contributors to her son’s standout performance.
Even as he prioritized exam preparation, Jeremi never stepped back from his extracurricular passion: badminton. He remained an active member of both the Attackk Badminton Club and the country’s national youth badminton team. When asked how Jeremi managed to balance the heavy academic load and his sports commitments, Shamelia explained the family’s simple, effective rule: “Homework first, sports after.”
The perfect mathematics score came as an unexpected, joyful surprise for the entire family. “I was happy because I was happy for him. He got to the school he wanted to go to. He’s going to Harrison College,” Shamelia said. “I was shocked because he got 100 in math.”
A pre-examination campus tour of Harrison College played a key role in solidifying Jeremi’s desire to attend the institution. When asked about the visit, Jeremi said the sheer scale of the campus left a lasting positive impression: “I was surprised at the size.” That visit confirmed for the young student that Harrison College was where he wanted to continue his education, a feeling he shared clearly with his mother.
Jeremi’s father, Jared Wright, shares his wife’s pride in his son’s achievement, but he is quick to emphasize that all credit belongs to Jeremi himself. “I can’t take any of the credit from Jeremi,” Jared said. “He’s a child that knows what he wants and is willing to put in the work to go after what he wants. My job was just really in helping him remember who he was and what he was capable of.” While the 11-year-old’s perfect score was a surprise, Jared says the strong result was not out of line with what he knows his son can achieve. “I wasn’t surprised. I was very, very happy,” he said. “I know what my son is capable of.” The family celebrated the milestone with a special dinner at Jeremi’s favorite restaurant.
At St Cyprian’s Boys’ School, deputy principal and Jeremi’s Class Four teacher Kevin Hurdle said school staff went into results day quietly confident that this cohort of students would deliver strong performance. “We were quietly confident that our boys would perform at a high level,” Hurdle shared. “Not only were they well prepared, this particular year group was one that has been monitored for a number of years producing a very high standard of results.”
Hurdle explained that the school uses a tailored, multi-tiered preparation strategy for the entrance examination, blending traditional instruction methods with modern multimedia resources and engaging learning activities designed specifically to meet the learning needs of boys. He said the staff was overjoyed by the results, particularly Jeremi’s historic achievement. “I was elated,” he said. “Very proud to be part of the process whereby these boys can begin to show the potential that they have academically.”
Hurdle also highlighted that most students in Jeremi’s graduating class balanced their academic preparation with participation in school sports teams. This ability to juggle multiple commitments, he said, is a promising sign for the students’ long-term success. “The fact that our boys could show that they could balance these things along with their academics, I think, bodes very well for the future,” he added.
As Jeremi prepares to start classes at Harrison College in the upcoming academic year, his parents are sharing guidance with other families who will soon navigate the entrance examination process, urging caregivers to prioritize encouragement over high pressure. “Do not pressure the children,” Shamelia advised. “They will do what they need to do. Just encourage them.”
J echoed his wife’s perspective, encouraging parents to trust their children’s abilities. “Remember who your children are and help them remember who they are and what they’re capable of,” he said. “Children are resilient. They’re amazing, and they have capabilities beyond what we often give them credit for.”