Rochel Gardener was only 13 when she sat her Caribbean Exam Council math exam, a test usually taken by 17 year olds.
By the time her top marks results came out last month, she’d turned 14, but she is still one of the youngest students in Cayman to take the exam. “It was hard work, I guess, but I just kept my focus and I worked hard,” said Rochel, who attends John Gray High School. She studied for the exam with her private math tutor Kurt McKenzie, who said he was proud of his young student’s achievement. He had worked with her twice a week in the run-up to the examination.
When the results landed in early August, Rochel’s mother Maxine Gardener admitted she was the one whose nerves were jangling, while her daughter remained calm, cool and collected.
“I was so calm. My mother was jumping all over the place,” said Rochel. “I was the one who was nervous,” said her mother.
Mr. McKenzie, however, said he went over the CXE exam questions with his student after she sat the exam and he was confident she had done well. “I knew she’d gotten a one,” he said.
Ms Gardener said: “After the exam was over, Mr. McKenzie was standing there and said ‘if she comes out smiling, we’ll know how she did’. Rochel came out laughing and giggling.”
After just one lesson with Rochel in September last year, Mr. McKenzie, who runs 100% Math and teaches at the University of West Indies campus, said he knew she would be able to hand the exam. “From the very first class, I realised that she had an ‘attackness’ about her approach to solving problems,” he said. He said he uses an all-encompassing approach to teaching math, ensuring that students grasp each problem fully and comprehends what they are learning, rather than teaching the students just how to pass an exam. Rochel says she hopes to become an actuary. Her next step is to start preparing for A-Level math exams.
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