Two young people with a foot on the ladder to success are Jahnae Harvey and Vernon Harrison, Head Girl and Head Boy respectively of CedarBridge Academy. Not only do they both have clear career goals, but they also have considerable related work experience already.

Vernon, who aims to be a branch pilot, has spent the past two summers working at Marine and Ports on the ferries, mainly as a deckhand, but also in the wheelhouse. He was so competent, he claimed, that: "As smooth a ride as it was, no one would've known it was a student at the wheel."

He's on the water every chance he gets, enjoying weekends cruising with his family on his stepfather's 35' Sea Ray, and experiencing deep water sailing on Spirit of Bermuda, once on her voyage from Bermuda to the Turks and Caicos; Nassau, Bahamas and West Palm Beach, Florida. More recently, he sailed from Charleston to Boston as part of this year's Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge.

Jahnae, who has been a Candy Striper since middle school, has her eye on being a counsellor for teens and pre-teens, and last year volunteered at The Child Development Programme on Monday afternoons. Though much of the work she did was administrative, she had access to materials like DVDs and books that were useful for career development. During the past summer she worked as a teacher's assistant at The Opportunity Workshop, ensuring that she has as wide an experience of counselling services as she can get.

Teachers place high expectations on both of them to set the standard of student behaviour, to be a role model, leader, advisor and assistant in ensuring rules are obeyed – referring infractions to the principal and deputy principals for further discipline if necessary. There are lots of duties: assembly duty, lunch duty and gate duty where they look for uniform infractions.

And all this extra responsibility is taken on willingly because, as Jahnae pointed out: "It's the feeling you get out of it. The sense that you can change someone's life. You can make a difference."

Those aren't just empty words. Vernon believes that his own experience with family issues has given him a clear insight into the emotional challenges teens can face, enabling him to have a significant impact on students, mainly male, in his school. The BAD (Born Again Disciple) boy, though a role model himself, is approachable because of his laid back personality.

"Lack of encouragement" is the main issue facing teens today, Jahnae believes. They need encouragement from those they feel closest to. Teachers' and principals' approval is important, but not to the same extent as those who know the students most intimately.

"If parents don't encourage their children," Vernon asked, "who will set the standards? How will the students encourage themselves, or anyone else?"

Jahnae, who described herself as something of a social butterfly outside the academics, is approachable and open to helping her peers with practical matters, like explaining concepts teachers haven't broken down enough, or homework, or even tardiness and absences, which can affect graduation.

Outside school, Jahnae enjoys dancing with the Uniquely United All Star Twirlers and models with the JoKoMa Nex modelling agency. Vernon, who was involved in martial arts for seven years and played on the CBA junior varsity basketball team, enjoys bowling and participating in Scouting. He also sings in the school choir and with the Cornerstone Bible Fellowship youth praise team "Elevation."

Conscious of their position in the spotlight as ambassadors of the school, they state proudly they are students of excellence in a school of excellence, where the principal stands at the gate every morning and greets each student by name.

And there's no place they'd rather be.