THERE’S time for work and there’s time for play. And when it’s time for work, 11-year-old Arianna Levarity applies pressure.

Arianna started high school just three weeks ago, but she already has a grade two at the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) level. Yes, you read that right.

Arianna took on a grand mission, and was successful, securing a grade two in Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) English Language.

“When I was 10 years old, my mother, who is a nurse, was doing English A and some other CSEC evening classes with Ms Marcia Allen. Every evening my mom would pick me up after she finished working and then take me to evening class with her to use the opportunity to spend more time with me. Ms Marcia Allen often gave me assignments and classwork to try out in her classes,” Arianna told Career & Education in an interview.

Arianna recalled that the tutor, Allen, continuously told her that she was doing well with the assignments and encouraged her to sit the exam the following year.

“She said, ‘I would love to have you as my pilot project next year because I know you will pass English A.’ My mom achieved a grade one in English A and then mom and I had a talk and she asked me which one of the CSEC subjects I would like to do, and I told her I really want to do English A. I really like English A and so I decided that I want it to be my first CSEC subject,” she added confidently.

Well, she wanted it and she got it. Arianna, who lives in Orange Bay, Hanover, with her mother Danola Haughton, said she enjoys writing; dancing; designing necklaces, anklets, and bracelets using beads; and spending time with her cousins. But when it was time to study, those were placed on timeout.

“The exam was manageable. I knew I was going to pass, but I also expected to get a grade two because of a story that I overlooked and did not complete in the examination. I told my mom about it the moment I walked out the exam room. I sat the examination at Green Island Evening Institute. I had just turned 11 years old,” she said.

She recalled the moment she received her grade – there was no surprise.

“I felt elated and reacted with a lot of laughter, and my grade immediately motivated me to do more CSECs in grade seven. My mom was excited and couldn’t wait to tell the family.”

Arianna’s education started at Santoy Basic School, where she was always a high achiever. It was the norm for her to be showered with several certificates, medals, and trophies for academic performance.

When she graduated from Santoy Basic School, she briefly attended March Town SDA Preparatory. Arianna then moved on to Orange Bay Kindergarten and Preparatory School.

Overwhelmingly, her mother told Career & Education that she is filled with great pride and admiration.

“As a single mom, I feel so good and so proud of my daughter to know that she is keeping her head up and making me proud. I know she did her best, and with her determination, enthusiasm, and attitude towards her goals, it makes it easy for me to be the best parent I can be and motivate her to continue to excel,” Haughton related.

“She just started high school… it is her second week in first form. And, actually, she is supposed to start the evening classes next week. So she is preparing to sit two more subjects for next year,” the delighted mother continued.

The amazement extended to Allen, who said Arianna was “quite focused throughout the entire eight months of class.” Allen added that she was always asking questions and ensured she understood the concepts of what was being taught.

“Classes were from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm every Monday evening, face to face. Notes and assignments were uploaded to Google Classroom. She would always complete her assignments on time. She was selected by her group members as the group leader for the SBA [school-based assessment] group. She is a very talented student and showed very strong leadership qualities. I was amazed at the fact that she was the youngest, but one of the strongest of the group,” Allen said.

The educator also stated that she long knew Arianna’s potential.

“Absolutely. I knew. I encouraged her to come to classes. I realised she expressed herself well, both orally and written. She would always show me her grades from Orange Bay Prep. I have been a teacher since 1994 and preparing students for CSEC since 2003. I operate a kindergarten and do CSEC classes in the evenings. Teaching is my passion. Seeing students succeed gives me great joy. Other students have also done well this year,” she said.

Meanwhile, in retrospect, Arianna smiled at her years as a top performer at Orange Bay.

“I continued to be on the principal’s honour roll, I was a prefect and I had perfect attendance. I achieved lots of other certificates, medals, and trophies. My grades were always in the high 90’s or 100 per cent,” she said, noting that she participated in several extra curricular activities, including swimming, music (piano), gymnastics, and karate.

“I achieved a yellow belt in karate, but because of COVID-19 and schools being closed, I did not get to do more karate classes. In 2018 I wrote a story and it was published in the Children’s Own titled Sara and Her Lies. This year I entered the JCDC [Jamaica Cultural Development Commission] speech competition through Orange Bay Preparatory School and I won a gold medal for most outstanding student in speech. The title of the piece I did was Silent Zone by Miss Lou. I was coached by Mrs Monica Luckoo and Ms Sornia Samuels.”

But CSEC wasn’t the only avenue down which Arianna followed her mom’s footsteps. In 2020 she achieved a CPR/AED and first aid certificate at eight years old.

“I did it while my mom was doing hers. I renew my CPR certificate each time when it is expired,” Arianna told Career & Education.

And, like her mother, she has an interest in health care.

“I would like to be in the health-care field. I would like to help as much people as I can, and to care for people who are in need,” she said.

Arianna was preparing for both CSEC English and her Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exam concurrently.

“While I was preparing for my grade six PEP exams, it included doing classes every evening on a school day and I was also preparing for my CSEC exam and had CSEC evening classes to do. I overcame it because my tutor gave me the notes that I missed out on and went through them with me. My mother also went through a lot of notes with me,” she said.