Young student Zidane Anderson wants to become an animator

Twelve-year-old Zidane Anderson is on his way to fulfilling his career dream of becoming an animator, with placement at the Glenmuir High School in Clarendon.

The former deputy head boy at Osborne Store Primary and Infant School, in the parish is now at his school of choice for the new academic year, which began on September 2.

Anderson shared that he felt “neutral” when it was announced that he will be attending Glenmuir.

He explained that although it was always his aspiration to attend Glenmuir, he doesn’t usually get excited about everything. “It’s where I always wanted to go,” he added.

The reserved student, who spends his free time working on his animation and visual arts skills, explained that constant revision was crucial to his preparation for the PEP examinations as well as acing internal tests and quizzes at his school.

His readings, coupled with support from close family members and teachers at Osborne Store Primary all played a critical role in Zidane copping several coveted awards during his recent graduation ceremony.

These awards and certificates included top boy, top PEP student, certificate for discipline, academic first place, highest average in grade six, principal’s honour roll, highest score in PEP science, and the Mar Noble Wint Award.

His sister, Olivia, said her little brother remains focused on achieving his academic pursuits and heaped commendations on the teachers at Osborne Store Primary and Infant School for always motivating him.

Beaming with pride about the accomplishments of her little brother, Olivia vowed to continue guiding him so he will perform well in his academic pursuits, so that he will realise his dream of becoming an animator, adding that he sketches and draws “pretty good”.

“I will ensure that he continues to do his homework… . You know, high school is different from primary school, but anything that I can help him with, I will ensure that I will help him with it; if anything is happening at school to ensure that he can talk to me or Mommy and just always being there for him. We are proud of him. He did pretty good in the PEP exams, from grade five coming up to grade six, he did excellently,” she said.

While Zidane is uncertain about what to expect from high school, he is positive that his love for the visual arts will continue, as that area of interest is “quite fun”.

The aspiring animator encourages students to constantly familiarise themselves with and revise their notes. He added that this study tip, which he uses often, works for him.

He shares that he will miss his teachers and classmates at his former school. “The teachers were nice to me,” he shared.

The PEP provides a profile of students’ academic abilities and their readiness for grade seven. It assesses their knowledge, placing significant focus on critical thinking and communication, among other skills.

A total of 34,927 students were registered to sit the 2024 grade-six PEP, with 391 absent from all the components registered.