

“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,” he 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 his 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 his studies despite the odds paid off as he 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.”