At the home of Amy Jemutai Sirma in Nkoroi Kajiado County, the mood is celebratory.
The family is celebrating the success of their daughter who attained an A mean grade of 84 points from Alliance Girls High School.
“I am satisfied with my performance because of the effort I put in,” she said.
She scored 441 marks in the 2018 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams to emerge as the third-best pupil in Kajiado County.
In 2017, her elder sister Abigail, a Civil Engineering student, had also sat her KSCE at Alliance Girls.
Amy recalled how her father, an electrical engineer and her mother, a banker, instilled in her the reading culture at an early age.
“My dad bought me an encyclopedia when I was four. It was a big book and I could barely understand anything in it. But for some reason, it piqued my interest and I could not put it down,” she said.
However, Amy is not all about books. She is an all-rounded student.
From Form one to Form Three, she was a class prefect. She became the school captain in Form Four.
She also participated in several extra-curricular activities including chairing World Scholar’s Cup, an international academic programme. She was a member of Math Club, Science Congress and St John Ambulance Club among others.
She attributed her outstanding performance to consistency and extensive consultation with her teachers. Before the examinations, she struggled with English but her teachers kept on encouraging her and this boosted her confidence.
She held many group discussions with her peers besides reading several books as she prepared for the exams.
However, she insisted that she never studied overnight but instead ensured she had enough rest which allowed her to stay focused and concentrate in class.
"Since Form One, she has been topping her class and so we were hopeful that she would do very well in her KSCE," Mr Josphat Sirma said.
Her mother Rhoda Sirma attributed her daughter’s good performance to commitment, a close working relationship with teachers and a lot of prayers.
Amy has not yet decided on the exact course she wants to pursue but she hopes to take one that is impactful.
"I want to study at Harvard University but I am still doing research to find what suits me best. I am torn between Computer Science and Medicine,” she said.
“Accept your grades and think of your future prospects without stressing yourself too much. Make the most of the resources within your reach,” she said.
