All-rounder Jaret aims high

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High-flying CedarBridge Academy graduate Jaret Simmons dreams of designing aircraft for Boeing at the end of his studies.

Jaret has already made history at his school: the 16-year-old graduated with triple honours, after acing the required classes in just three years.

After teachers noticed he wasn’t being challenged enough by classes, Jaret sat down with his mother Tracey Simmons, principal Kalmar Richards and education officer Luanne Wainwright “to discuss what we were going to do”.

Through higher-year classes and lessons outside school, Jaret ended up graduating with eight GCSEs, three AS courses, and one Advanced Placement — a first for the school.

“A lot of what people say about CedarBridge is just made up,” he said. “I was able to do whatever I wanted to do there. If you make use of what’s presented to you, it doesn’t matter where you go, just what you do with your time. I enjoyed my time at CedarBridge.”

His fascination with aircraft dates back to his first trip, at the age of three with his mother on the Boeing 772.

“It’s my favourite aircraft. It’s big but it has only two engines — the technology is so sophisticated,” he explained.

“One day I hope to work on one, or make something better than it.”

This August, he heads to Jamaica to study at Kingston’s University of Technology.

“I’ll be studying mechanical engineering. That’s the first plan. I can get my degree in three or four years if I push myself again.

“After that, I plan to go to the States to get a master’s in aeronautical engineering. Then, if I’m up to it, I’ll go for a doctorate. But we must see how life goes. It’s unpredictable.”

Jaret credits Sandys Secondary Middle School principal Timothy Jackson for “taking me under his wing and mentoring me”.

An all-rounder, Jaret runs track and field: 10.9 seconds is his 100-metre record — 22.4 seconds for the 200-metres.

Taking a break before his training, he told The Royal Gazette: “I’m getting ready for the England Athletics Under-17 Championships in Bedford. That’s August 18 and 19. I want to take at least one gold medal. I have a better shot in the 100 metres.

“I started track in my last year at middle school and I fell in love with it. It’s important to balance things out.”

For now, he said, he’s just happy to get a break from school.

“I feel pretty good about it,” he said. “It took a lot of work but it came out good in the end. It felt great getting to walk across that stage. It’s something everybody looks forward to. As most of us said, ‘we made it’.”

Useful websites: www.utech.edu.jm, www.englandathletics.org.

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