At just 16 years old, Rihanna James is already making her mark as one of Guyana’s brightest young minds. The St. Stanislaus College student, who is now entering fifth form, has already secured seven subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) – all with Grade One passes.
What makes her achievement even more remarkable is that Rihanna still has an entire year of secondary school ahead of her before reaching the stage when students are normally required to sit the CSEC exams.
But while she embraces the title of “high performer,” Rihanna insists that her story is not just about academics. For her, it’s also about perseverance, faith and finding balance in a journey that has been anything but easy.
In a recent interview with News Room, the soft-spoken teen admitted she was a little nervous, but her words carried weight. “Those students out there, if you’re possibly looking at this, just do your best,” she said.
“People will support you, but people will also break you. I think it’s important that you maintain a close relationship with God. A lot of things will come and go, but once you have your education and your degrees, nobody can take that away from you.”
Rihanna’s academic journey started early. She first sat CSEC in third form. By the end of fourth form, she had added four more subjects to her name – all with top grades. Balancing school with extra lessons at the Morgan Learning Centre, Rihanna recalls the demanding schedule of early mornings, late nights and endless hours of preparation.
“It was definitely its own emotional turmoil,” she reflected.
“There were a lot of early mornings. I had to wake up before dawn to go to lessons at 6 a.m., then school, then more lessons until late at night. But it wasn’t just me… I had an entire team pushing me. My parents, who never let me slip and my teachers at Morgan who were amazing.”
Still, her path was not without doubt. Coming from a background where she was more familiar with schools like Queens, Bishops’ and Marian Academy, Rihanna admitted that she underestimated St. Stanislaus College at first.
“When I got placed here, I thought I had done badly. But when I researched, I realised it was a really good school and now I feel comfortable and proud to be here.”
As she heads into her final year of secondary school, Rihanna is still deciding how many subjects she will sit when she officially takes on CSEC next year. For now, she’s focused on choosing carefully, balancing ambition with purpose.
“I don’t want to just sit subjects because people are telling me to. I want to sit the subjects I truly want to do.”
Looking ahead, she knows she wants to pursue higher education and possibly a career in the sciences—though she keeps her options open beyond just becoming a doctor. “I also want to explore different skills, not just academics,” she said.
Her advice to other students is simple and profound: “Take every opportunity you get. You know yourself better than anyone else. It’s not just about studying more, but about learning in a way that helps you really remember and apply the information. And always keep pushing, because the hard work is worth it.”
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