She studied 14 hours a day
By Ellen Joy Anastacio
Lucille Annabelle Latiff thought she would only get eight to 10 points for her O-levels.
Instead, she emerged as the top Secondary 4 Malay student for her cohort, with six points from her 7 A1s and an A2.
I think I made some mistakes during my O-levels so I was a bit worried that I might not be able to get the marks," she confessed.
So when her English teacher at Crescent Girls' School, Mrs Rupa Beng Choo, told her about her marks, she was shocked.
Annabelle admitted, "It didn't really sink in."
Mrs Rupa said: "She was pretty surprised; she's a very modest and humble girl, and she wasn't expecting it."
The Crescent Girls' School's Subject Head for Literature also related that Annabelle's father, Mr Lenny Allen Latiff, an operations manager at a security firm, looked elated but did not seem too surprised.
Given Annabelle's study schedule, he might have every reason not to be.
"I've been studying consistently throughout the year and I didn't leave it till the last minute," she said.
During the study break, she would study from 8 am to 10 pm at their Bukit Permai flat, albeit with frequent breaks in between to listen to music or to catch the occasional TV show.
Studied her way to the top
The Crescent Girls' student of mixed parentage - her father is half-Malay, half-Eurasian while her mother, Linda Pascua Latiff, is Filipino - is a "very enthusiastic student who is very willing to learn," said Mrs Rupa
"Sometimes I was nervous, especially for English, for which I got B for my prelims, especially because it's the most important subject," said Annabelle.
She got an A1.
Annabelle said she also had difficulty studying for her Mother Tongue subject, Chinese.
Despite not being Chinese, her father had chosen the subject for her when she was in kindergarten, thinking it would help her find a good job.
"To prepare for the Chinese exams, I would watch Chinese dramas, and pick up some good phrases. I would read my Chinese composition books and check out the words I don't know, and my Chinese-English dictionary."
Aside from her teachers, she also credits her parents and friends.
"My parents and friends also helped me by encouraging me not to give up. My parents let me concentrate on my studies, and would allow me to buy assessment books so I could practice," said Annabelle.
Her English teacher has nothing but praises for her, declaring: "She definitely deserved to come out on top."
Annabelle, who turns 17 this February 1, shared her ambition: "I wanted to show everyone I'm capable of scoring good results for my O levels."
And that, she did.