Hard Work Pays Off for Simsbury High School Senior

From Simsbury High School

Simsbury High School senior Kadum Saint Mary is an exemplary student and a leader with a quiet demeanor and engaging smile. Earlier in the school year, she worked with a group of students and Open Choice Interventionist Samaria Campbell to revive SHS’s Multicultural Club, which provides opportunities to teach and learn about different cultures. In the fall Kadum will attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a full scholarship.

But there is another layer to Kadum that makes her accomplishments even more significant than they might be for any other Simsbury student. Throughout her academic career, she has lived in and commuted from the city of Hartford to Simsbury.

Since the first grade, Kadum has participated in the Open Choice program, which allows Hartford students to attend suburban public schools. Her parents, originally from Nigeria, were determined that their daughter would get a good education in America. Kadum credits her parents for being the inspiration for the career she wants to pursue in pharmacy.

“Both my parents are in the healthcare field,” she said, laughing as she recalled her parents’ constant refrain, “Every day, focus on your books. Education is the key!”

Education has indeed been the key to not only academic success but also to Kadum’s development as a person. She attended Central School as an elementary student, admittedly a very shy one.

Said Kadum, “My fifth and sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Ryan, was really, really sweet. She helped me with self-confidence and talked me through.”

In seventh grade at Henry James Memorial School, teacher Anjanette Belmonte also helped draw her out of her shell, using humor to make a connection.

“She was really a hilarious person,” said Kadum, “I could really just be myself.”

Simsbury High School is certainly well known for academic rigor, and Kadum found the classes interesting, especially in the areas of science and history. But liking a class did not always mean excelling in a class. Mark Orsene’s Honors Precalculus class was one example.

Said Kadum, “The class really opened my eyes that I have to work hard to get what I want. I had to work SO hard!”

Orsene was pleased to hear about his student’s college plans.

Said Orsene, “Kadum was a joy to teach. She is a student who, due to her exceptional work ethic and character, improved her understanding of mathematics in each semester. I am proud of her achievements and wish her the best in her pursuit of a degree in pharmacy.”

Kadum’s academic achievement has not escaped the notice of SHS Principal Neil Sullivan.

“It has been a few years since we have had one of our students from the Choice program achieve the kind of academic distinction that Kadum has earned,” said Sullivan. “I knew that she was a special student when I got a communication from the College Board last year recognizing her as one of the top minority students in the entire country in terms of achievement. Her hard work has paid off. We are very proud of her, and I know that her family is, too.”

Kadum says that when she heads off to college she will miss Simsbury, a town that residents often refer to as “the bubble.”

“Simsbury is like a second home to me,” said Kadum, adding with her signature grin, “It’s a nice bubble.”