Far from the private schools having the pick of the crop, CedarBridge Academy is turning out more and more first class students every year.

Articulate, bright, ambitious and brimming with confidence, a number of students spoke to The Royal Gazette about their experiences at the school - the largest on the Island - and how it had changed over the years.

When Jakai Franks, 17, first went to the school he was nervous and lacking in confidence. Berkeley Institute had been his first choice, but like many students, he was denied the opportunity and was offered CedarBridge, instead.

"At first, I was not happy. I thought `how am I going to survive in that school - they are all hoodlums', said the teenager.

"But once I got here I was surprised. It has always been portrayed differently to how it is. It's a nice environment and it's diverse. When I first got here I had no confidence and I didn't speak to people.

"And then last year I decided to enter the Mr. CedarBridge contest, and I won. We were asked questions and judged on confidence and a number of different characteristics. That shows how much I had developed."

Renee Kuchler, 17, was voted Student of Excellence for 2002/2003 and is hoping to become a teacher one day, and eventually principal of CedarBridge.

For her, she said arriving at CedarBridge from Spice Valley Middle School was a daunting task, but she soon began to fit right in.

"CedarBridge has brought out things in me that I didn't know I could do, like public speaking. I think the school has improved. I was not here when there was apparently lots of violence, but I only know about violence at this school through what I read in the newspapers. I have seen nothing like I have read in the newspapers.

"Everyone here is really friendly. I am not looking forward to leaving."

Arlene O'Connor and her twin sister Avita found that they were able to help and support each other when they arrived at the school.

Arlene, who wants a career in travel and tourism, said: "When I first came here, I thought it was a good school, and I believed I had made the right choice because it had better opportunities than many other schools.

It has changed, but it has just got better. Instead of just academic school work, there are a lot of activities."

And her prefect sister Avita said she initially wanted to go to Berkeley because of the bad reputation at CedarBridge.

"I thought CedarBridge was big at first, but I soon adapted to it. I really never used to like speaking in front of people, but now I don't mind, and I have been able to enjoy a lot of opportunities, such as work experience in law, which is what I want to do."

And Colin Outerbridge did not mince his words when he said he believed CedarBridge, and himself, had changed a lot since the early days.

"We have more positive students in the school - there are no negative ones," said the 17-year-old, who has been accepted to attend Herzing College in Toronto to study network systems technology in September.

"I was really worried about coming here as all my friends went to Berkeley, but once I got here it did not feel so big. But I think CedarBridge made me a better person and I know I have improved a lot since S1. I was never a bad student, but now my attitude is better, I am more determined and more focussed on my goals. I want to succeed."

And top athlete Shardae Whitter is set for St. Augustine's College in North Carolina this summer after winning a scholarship to study both athletics and academics.

She said CedarBridge had allowed her to follow her dream of running, while maintaining her academics.

And she said while the school as a whole had changed, she realised her S4 year had particularly changed.

"We are all mature now and very different in how we go about things," she said.

"I would not have wanted to go anywhere else, but CedarBridge. I think Berkeley tends to be mostly academic, where up here it is very hands on. It makes students much more well-rounded."