Dedication, perseverance key to my success, says Jinushika

Honour to St. John Bosco College:

Dharmasiri Wijeratne, Hanwella Group Corr.

HANWELLA: Jinushika Chalindi Saluwadana, a student of St. John Bosco College, Kaluaggala who secured the second place at the year 5 scholarship examination says her dedication and perseverance towards the studies and obedience to parents helped to achieve success.

She secured the one of the second places by scoring 196 marks.

"My parents and teachers were the constant source of inspiration, she said. My father helped me immensely by providing additional reading materials and model question papers."

I read a lot and practised answering the model question papers from Grade 3 onwards, she said. After coming home from school, I attend to my home work and revise what I learnt at the school for about 2 hours.

I used to read and answer model papers after dinner till about 10.00 p.m., she said. I watched television too, special news bulletin but never addicted to it.

There are certain programmes in TV which I never missed. My aim is to be an astronomer. Jinushika paid gratitude to her class teacher and the other teachers whose untiring efforts brought her success.

Her father Rohitha Saluwadana, an artist who had won the Presidential award in 2005 and 2006 and is running an art gallery in London said he was providing all facilities for his daughter's education.

"I never compelled her. I was closely watching her activities. That's all, he said. She was a very bright student. She was the prefect of the primary section and was very keen in extra curricular activities, he said.

Jinushika's mother Nayani Iddamalgoda said she observed her daughter's exceptional talents from the pre-school age.

I was behind her and gave her the necessary backing to enrich her talents and today I am really proud of her, she said.