Alexander McGaw ‘feeling very happy’ with Common Entrance results

“I wasn’t aiming to get into the top 10, I was just aiming to get into Harrison’s College.”

Those were the words of an ecstatic Alexander McGaw as he explained the joy he felt after hearing Monday’s Common Entrance results.

Speaking to Barbados TODAY via Zoom from Florida McGaw, who attended St Winifred’s School, said he got the news from his grandmother.

“I’m feeling very happy, I found out when I had a video call with my granny who called with the results and she opened the letter with the 100 in Maths and 96 in English.”

McGaw said he put a lot of effort into preparing for the exam: “I was nervous, I went to lessons and I did a lot of BENCO papers,I did like 24 BENCO papers to prepare for it. Yes, I am happy that I got top 11, but I wasn’t aiming for this, I was aiming to get into Harrison’s College.”

His mother Natalee Brace was beaming from ear to ear as she recounted the journey of her son.

She told Barbados TODAY: “To say that we were overwhelmed when we found out yesterday was an understatement, we are very absolutely thrilled and very emotional and very proud of him. It’s been a difficult time preparing for the exam. It was very challenging, initially with the online school so I think once they went back to in-person school that definitely would have helped.”

Brace said one of the things she insisted on was that McGaw had a good balance with his schoolwork: “He did a lot of past papers and he still kept up his extra curricular activities, he still went to sailing so I think that helped to relieve some of the pressure. Alexander really buckled down and got what he needed to do, done and I am really proud of him.”

She also gave a special shoutout to Alexander’s sister who she says was very instrumental and his teacher Mrs Small and lessons teacher Mrs Shepherd.