IN JAMAICA , Careers & Education : 12 y-o Tajay Barker awarded by Western Medical Association.

TWELVE-YEAR-OLD Tajay Barker was very excited when he found out he was the top boy at Granville Primary School in last year's GSAT exams and was awarded a government placement at Herbert Morrison Technical High School in Montego Bay, St James.

Twelve-year-old Tajay with his father
Derrick Barker and mother Suzette Groves-Barker
 after being awarded a laptop from the
 Western Medical Association for being
 top boy at Granville Primary School.

However, the youngster became depressed shortly before going to high school, because his father was diagnosed with a medical condition. Nonetheless, he found a reason to smile again when the doctors from the Western Medical Association (WMA) gave him a laptop in recognition of his hard work.

"When he started going to school, his father became really ill," said his mother Suzette Groves-Barker.

"Tajay was a little bit down, but when the medical place called and I gave him the news, he was really excited and it was like a turning point for him."

The WMA awarded both Barker and Granville Primary School top girl Anna-Kay Brown laptops valued at over $100,000 during a ceremony two weeks ago at the Wexford Hotel. Brown is currently a student at Westwood High School. Groves-Barker said her son, who is her only child, has been taking even more interest in his school work since getting the laptop. Fortunately, her husband was able to recover from his illness, which made the youngster even happier. more