For 16-year-old Saria Yunas of Alness Village, Corentyne, Berbice, academic success is more than just outstanding grades — it is the product of a journey shaped by a family immersed in the construction business and parents who recognised her potential early and pushed her to pursue it.
The JC Chandisingh Secondary School student is among this year’s outstanding CSEC performers, having written 13 subjects and secured 12 Grade Ones and one Grade Two.
With her sights now set on becoming a Chartered Accountant, Yunas has already begun working toward that goal, enrolling in an accounting course at the Janet School of Accounting in July.
“I’m going toward the chartered accountant because it’s very professional for me, and it always inspired me,” she said, noting that her interest in the field dates back to childhood, nurtured by her family’s business background.
Behind her results, however, was a student who put in the work herself. Yunas had initially planned to write 10 subjects within her stream, but her parents pushed her to aim higher.
“My mom and dad wanted me to do more. They believed in me, so after that, I also believed in myself. I wanted to make them proud,” she said.
Despite the weight of preparing for 13 subjects, Yunas said she never seriously considered giving up.
“There’s always people encouraging me when I feel down. There’s a lot of people that believed in me, so I also believed in myself,” she said.
Her mother, 40-year-old Anessa Yunas, said she and her husband recognised their daughter’s academic ability — particularly her strength in mathematics — from an early age.
“We saw from a very young age she was a very good mathematics student, so we pushed her in that field towards business because we have a firm. So there’s a foundation there, so we just build,” Anessa said.
Her parents also arranged extra lessons in subjects where she needed support, while teachers and friends encouraged her throughout her preparation.
Yunas has since taken the next step in her journey, enrolling in an economics programme at the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen campus.
She urged students who did not achieve the results they hoped for to remain consistent and refuse to give up.
