“I just want them to be able to explore where they want to go and just be happy.”
These heartfelt words from Remy Avril Jr., father of island scholarship recipient Maxime Avril and award-winning Celesse Avril, reflect the profound pride and unwavering dedication that have guided his children’s academic journeys.
Remy, who has been a steady source of support, shared his joy as his children were recognised for their outstanding achievements at the 17th Annual National Awards of Excellence last Thursday.
The event, hosted by the Ministry of Education under the theme Celebrating Excellence: Acclaiming Our Trailblazers, Inspiring Our Nation, honoured the brightest students across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
The proud father shared his thoughts with St Lucia Times on the journey that led to his children’s remarkable achievements. In an emotional moment, he described how his family created an environment where his children can flourish, despite financial challenges.
“Myself and my wife, we just make sure we are there,” he said. “We just create an environment where they could flourish.”
Remy pointed out that while economic means were not always abundant, the focus was on providing emotional and mental support, helping his children excel academically.
He believes that his role as a father is not to push his children toward a particular career path but to support them in finding their own direction.
“I’m not one of those fathers who wants them to be prime minister or whatever,” he said with a smile. “I just want them to be able to explore where they want to go and just be happy.”
Maxime, who was also awarded for her achievements in Integrated Mathematics and Green Engineering in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), expressed her gratitude and acknowledged her family’s role in her success.
“I thank God for these awards because they mean so much to me and my family,” she said. “I wasn’t able to go to school before, but now with the island scholarship, which I prayed a lot for and God provided, I am able to choose a school that I can go to.”
Maxime also spoke about the rigorous effort required to balance her academic and extracurricular activities.
“There were a lot of days where I would come to school during the study period and I would just be there the entire day studying to help keep myself focused and motivated,” she explained.
Her commitment to her studies despite the odds paid off as she received top honours.
Maxime also shared valuable advice for future students, stressing the importance of mentorship and perseverance. “It’s really important for you to get in contact with your teachers…. People think that it’s a shame to actually ask your teachers questions… but it’s what propels you to be excellent.”
Maxime’s sister, Celesse, received the award for her achievements in Food, Nutrition and Health.
The Vieux Fort community won most of the awards at the ceremony, and the Principal of Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School (VFCSS), Ava Peter, expressed immense pride in the school’s performance during the last CSEC examinations.
Both Maxime and Celesse attended the VFCSS.
“I cannot express enough how proud I am of the students of our school this year at the performance at last year’s CSEC examinations,” she said. “We are all over the moon at this point to see the number of students we had receiving awards, not just at the local level, but also at the regional level, especially with our CAPE students, and we saw an uptick from last year with our CSEC performance as well.”
Peter was quick to acknowledge the crucial role parents play in supporting their children’s education.
“We recognise the contribution of parents, the support role that they play in helping their children to remain on track,” she said. “But we cannot discount the efforts, the dedication, the service of our teachers as well.”
“Through the years, we have seen that repeating itself, that our teachers are committed to what they do, that our teachers are invested in what they do at Vieux Fort Comprehensive, and the results, I think, speak for itself.”
TWhat an amazing human being! You’re truly a gentle giant. Excellent work, you’ve always displayed the qualities of a great father. Your patience and love while guiding us on the basketball court highlight all the qualities needed to raise such wonderful children. Kudos to you and your wife. I admire you, coach, brother, and an incredible unsung hero!
Congratulations to Maxime Avril and Celesse Avril, two remarkable sisters, on their outstanding academic excellence! Hard work, determination, and dedication to yall studies have truly set yall apart. It is inspiring to see two sisters achieve such greatness together, supporting and motivating each other along the way. Your success is a reflection of your perseverance and passion for learning, and there is no doubt that even greater achievements lie ahead for both of you. Wishing you both continued success in all your future endeavors, this is just the beginning of an incredible journey!
Very well said – I am a witness who knows that hard work and dedication pays dividends. God bless
Congratulations.👏👏👏 Well done !
This is so inspiring and gives me hope for the youth that there are still parents who are dedicated to their children being the best they can be. Too many young people are raising themselves, but this is just the opposite. Great indeed.
I attended the awards ceremony and was elated that the Vieux Fort schiols especially Campus B captured the majority of the awards. However it is an area of concern to be explored by the Min of Education because SALCC Castries did not perform as well. Is it that teachers and students from down south are more committed? Understandably the classes in Vieux Fort are smaller as opposed to one science class doing CAPE at SALCC housing over 54 students. Shawn please look into the asap. Congratulations teachers and students.
Girls need fathers in their lives
Ben, those children who are raising themselves have their fathers with their pants way below their backside and their dirty underwear showing. They also have a marijuana stick all day in their mouths. What do you believe these children will do? Their mother’s mode of dressing is jarring to see. How can these parents raise their children with any level of pride and dignity?
Meanwhile….in a ghetto somewhere, a young girl is being exposed to weed, alcohol, guns, tattoos and badman lifestyle. In the same area, a young boy is being taught how to ride a scooter and how to curse adults while listening to dutty dance hall tracks that all speak to disrespecting women!!! I wish parents would mold and shape their offsprings…the family is the heart of society, once it is dysfunctional then automatically society collapses.
Congratulations to the girls. Blessings to their parents. Remy you are a wonderful soul. God bless.