By Rachel Kalina
"That could be you if you work hard for it," she replied.
Last month, Ramasaroep proved his mother right, delivering the class valedictory speech at Malverne High School. He will attend Baruch College in the fall, where he wants to pursue the goal of being an entrepreneur in the entertainment industry.
"I plan on starting my own corporations in a variety of fields," said Ramasaroep, who plans to major in business administration and minor in pre-law and economics. One can just imagine the "so what are you studying at college?" conversations.
Ramasaroep said he was inspired by the stories of other star business moguls like Michael Jordan, Jay-Z, Donald Trump and Bill Gates. He has not forgotten where he came from, though, and cites his mother as a major influence in his life. "They showed me that I can use what talent I have to open up many doors," he said of those he admires.
Ramasaroep, a native of South America, came to the U.S. when he was 6. His mother had made the same move a few years earlier, emigrating to escape what Lennie said was the political turmoil in South America at the time.
And while Ramasaroep said he only experienced "regular feelings" when he received notice of his valedictorian status, he said he wouldn't have had such an opportunity if he had stayed in his native Guyana.
Ramasaroep said he doesn't "like to dwell on anything," and he wrote his valedictory speech only an hour before graduation. But even if he doesn't make a big deal out of his academic achievements, he knew right from the start that he wanted to put in the work to become valedictorian. "I did it so my mom would have something to be proud about," he said.
To make her proud, Lennie took extra study sessions and perused unassigned reading material. He never felt he had to prioritize his school work ahead of his social life, saying he "just blended them together." After graduation, he made sure to celebrate his achievements with his friends at different gatherings.
Even as late as April of his junior year, when the class standings first came out, Ramasaroep saw the need for improvement, because he wasn't yet at the top of his class. He kept up his efforts, however, and after senior-year midterms, he found out he had gotten what he wanted.
"I started off average in high school," he said, "and in 11th grade I sort of picked it up. It was a goal I was working hard to achieve."
Now that he has tasted success, he isn't about to slow down. "As of right now, I'm trying to save up to raise money for my real estate endeavors," Ramasaroep said. He hopes to buy and sell houses and use the money gained from this for his future businesses. "I look forward to working hard to achieve successes," he said.
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