Bishop Anstey/Trinity East College scholarship winner Richard Nandoo never believed he would one day win a scholarship for mathematics.
For him, solving mathematical problems was a hobby. It was in Form Four that his teacher, Shawwal Hosein, recognised his ability and decided to give him add maths lessons for free.
It was a decision that shaped his life’s achievements as Nandoo was among 15 students from Bishop Anstey/Trinity East College who won scholarships.
Ten won additional scholarships while five won open scholarships.
In an interview yesterday, Nandoo said Hosein has so inspired him that his desire is to become an expert maths lecturer. Nandoo is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science special degree in Mathematics at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine.
“I want to get my doctorate in maths and one day teach maths at UWI,” Nandoo said. He said his father, Parasram, a truck driver, also shared his love for maths. However, Nandoo said his mother, Vera, a housewife, gave him the confidence to pursue his dreams.
“She is always giving me the pep talk and motivational speeches. There is nothing that she doesn’t think I can do. She always gives me that extra push and this is what makes me so successful,” Nandoo said.
He said his mother left her career and became a full-time mother when he was born.
Nandoo said the secret to excelling was to work past paper questions.
“I must have done thousands of questions. I did every past paper that I could find. I worked more than ten years of past papers,” Nandoo said. He said that his goal was to get a scholarship but when he realised he had achieved his target, he was shocked that he had succeeded.
Also receiving a scholarship at the same school was Dominic Singh in the field of environmental studies. Singh is currently waiting to study medicine at the University of the West Indies. Another student, Mathew Forbes, won a scholarship in technology studies. He follows in the footsteps of his two sisters, Michela and Aimee, who also won scholarships at the school previously.
Forbes said his inspiration to succeed came from God and his family. He said his sisters worked consistently with him and he was grateful to his teachers and family for his success.