( L - R ) Tucker, Thomas

Daniel Thomas and Shari Tucker were the first top boy and girl in the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) when it was introduced in 1999.

Today, they are both third-year medical science students at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, and continue to blaze a trail of success.

Getting into medical school was no easy feat but the scholars say it was hard work that brought them this far and GSAT, one of the most dreaded tests, was the first taste of what was to come.

"The past three years have been good. I would say that I am an A/B student," Thomas told The Gleaner.

A reserved Tucker, who is on a Jamaica Adult Suffrage scholarship from the Ministry of Education, said her grades have been OK.

"It's a lot of hard work. I like it though, and I find the work very interesting," said Tucker, a graduate of Immaculate Conception High School.

No 'pressure'

Going back to the days of GSAT Tucker, who is now 20 years old, barely remembers the pressure she was under. What she recalled, though, was how involved her parents were in her education.

"I don't remember if I had a study regime but I remember that my parents were instrumental in helping me to prepare," said Tucker.

"I guess I was mature in terms of my preparation," she added.

Thomas is on a scholarship from the UWI. He recalls vividly his preparation for the GSAT.

"I remember my father and I going through the multiple choice book each night and I always ensured that I revised my daily work," Thomas told The Gleaner.

Thomas, who was also The Gleaner's Children's Own 2001 Spelling Bee champion, said the rigorous regime employed during that period had taught him to be a more disciplined student.

"The discipline and hard work from Spelling Bee paid off in the end and that is why I think have reached this far," he said.

Tucker, who intends to become a cardiologist is not just a bookworm. She is currently the public relations officer at the University and Colleges Christian Fellowship. She is also a member of the Bethel Baptist Ensemble.

Thomas, a graduate of Ardenne High School, has won many awards. In addition to the GSAT top boy title and Spelling Bee champion, he won the Caribbean Examination Council's regional award for science in 2004.

That same year, he gained 10 distinctions at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level, while Tucker received seven distinctions and one credit.

Thomas, who was his high school valedictorian, was also Jamaica's top boy for CSEC. In sixth form, he was ranked third in the island for mathematics and Spanish at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations level.

His advice for the more than 50,000 students who will sit GSAT this year is to remain focused.

"Don't worry, once you prepare you will do well. So just ensure that you listen to your teachers' instructions," he said.

"Don't get frustrated about it. It's just a normal test," he added.

petrina.francis@gleanerjm.com