First year student in the Faculty of Law, Kerri-Ann Allen was named matriculant for the 2009-2010 academic year at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and was chosen to sign the register on behalf of all new students entering Mona this academic year. The signing took place at the welcome and symbolic signing of the matriculation register held at the University Chapel last Sunday, October 4.

A matriculation ceremony is the occasion on which students are formally recognised as members of a university. Their acceptance into the academic community is marked by the signing of the matriculation register. The student selected as matriculant is the best-performing student in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) to enter the institution in that academic year.

Government Scholarship

Kerri-Ann attended El Instituto de Mandevilla Preparatory School, and based on her performance in the GSAT examinations, was awarded a Government Scholarship in 2002 to attend Manchester High School. During her secondary school career, she continued to excel, topping her class from first to third form, placing at the head of her year group in first and second forms, and in fourth and fifth forms, she received certificates for the best grades in most of her subjects.

She has 11 CSEC subjects at grade one and in fifth form was awarded the Most Outstanding Girl and the Excellence in CSEC trophies. She is also a recipient of Awards for Excellence in both lower and upper sixth forms for her performance in the CAPE, in which she gained nine subjects at grade one.

co-curricular activities

Kerri-Ann also contributed to her school community as form captain, prefect, student council representative and head girl. She participated in various co-curricular and community activities, and was a member of the table tennis team, dance club and children's outreach club, among others.

Kerri-Ann describes herself as "a blessed child of God who possesses various leadership skills, willing to assist, caring, honest, fun-loving and spontaneous". She says she wanted to be a lawyer from the age of seven and has worked towards achieving that goal.