Freelance Contributor
For 12-year-old Vivek Supersad Maharaj, academic excellence has never been about chasing marks alone. It has been a journey built on faith, family values, discipline and a balanced lifestyle—qualities that have now earned him the distinction of placing first nationally in the 2026 Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA).
The Munroe Road SDMS Hindu School student achieved a perfect score in every examinable area, earning 100 per cent in Mathematics, 100 per cent in English Language Arts and 20 out of 20 in Creative Writing. He also secured the maximum composite score of 253.423, the highest possible score in the examination.
His outstanding performance earned him a place at his first-choice school, Hillview College, continuing a proud family tradition.
For Vivek’s father, Omkarnath Supersad Maharaj, Hillview College represents more than academic prestige. He, his older son Abhishek and Vivek’s paternal grandfather, who once served as a dean at the school, are all part of its history.
Although both father and son are practising Hindu pundits, Omkarnath deliberately encouraged Vivek to attend a school outside the family’s religious tradition.
“I wanted him to experience different cultures and beliefs and not limit his vision to one perspective,” he said.
Vivek hopes to follow another family tradition—engineering. His father is a chemical engineer with the National Gas Company, while his mother, Shalini Supersad Maharaj, is a chemical engineer with bpTT.
“I feel very proud of my achievement and I’m very happy that all the hard work that started since pre-school has paid off,” Vivek said.
“I would like to follow in my father’s and my mother’s footsteps. I want to become an engineer and also continue serving as a pundit.”
Despite his academic success, Vivek says balance has been essential to avoiding burnout.
He enjoys swimming, watching educational TV programmes and believes young people should carefully manage their use of technology.
For students who struggle academically, Vivek’s advice was simple: “Do more practice tests, focus on the subjects that are giving you trouble and work hard.”
When news of his achievement spread, he said his classmates were among the first to celebrate.
“They were very happy for me and congratulated me a lot,” he said.
Principal Rishi Maharaj described Vivek’s accomplishment as the culmination of years of consistent excellence. He noted that Vivek captured the National Diabetes Competition in Standard Three, won the National Mental Mathematics Competition in Standard Four and has now achieved the country’s highest SEA honour in Standard Five.
“His record reflects exceptional intellect, unwavering discipline, perseverance and a genuine passion for learning,” the principal said.
He also commended Vivek’s parents for their unwavering guidance and support, and thanked class teacher Thamatte Maharaj, along with the school’s staff, for their dedication to academic excellence.
He said Vivek’s historic achievement demonstrates what is possible when students, parents, teachers and educational institutions work together with a shared vision.
Vivek was named among the top SEA performers for 2026, along with Amara Batan, Shivan Khan, Shazana Mohammed, Adam Ng Tang, Liam Rajnauth, Ethan Ramlacksingh, David Ramlakhan and Katherine Alexandria Ajodha.
