:: About tene

Energetic, outgoing and intelligent - that's 18-year old Tene in three words. Always ready to sit back and chill, yet eager to take on the world, Tene is putting the steps in motion - starting with her education.

In fact, her biggest achievement so far is graduating from high school - without getting pregnant or dropping out along the way. Tene was home schooled, something which she says is not for everyone, depending instead on the person and their learning style. The one-on-one attention, smaller
classes, and shorter hours suited Tene, however. "I could work without distraction, at my own pace." She'd do it again - and is even considering putting her own kids (if she has any) through home school - though, she added, she'd want them in public school first until a certain age.

Graduating from high school is what she is the most proud of in her life - so far. "That's something I am really glad I got to do. I made it past high school without having any kids, without dropping out - that's the best thing I've done ... A lot of people can do it, but won't. I want people to have that. Walking down the aisle to receive a diploma, knowing you have some kind of education."

After graduation, Tene worked at the Southampton Princess for a while as a front desk agent. She enjoyed the experience but the hours were hard.

Night shifts put the brakes on her social life, and though she says she probably could have handled the situation better, she finally left the hotel in the summer of 2004. "It was good pay, but it was stressful - and it wasn't something I wanted to do anyway."

What Tene does want to do right now is finish her education. She and her mother, one of her staunchest allies, are working together to put her through school, and this fall she begins her Information Systems Specialisation Certificate at compu college in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She will finish the course in March of 2007, when she hopes to return to Bermuda and work to put herself through her Master's degree. "Then I want to buy my own house and just live my life, be happy, not worrying about my education and my job ... I want to get my education and things will fall into place after that."

She had to start working at a young age to help pay for school, she said, giving up activities such as track and field, and dance. "I regret giving those up ... I've gotten a little out of shape, but I'll have to work on that." In fact, she planned to pick right up where she left off once she reached Halifax.

Though she is young, Tene is not unaware of some of the problems facing Bermuda. "We have to stop black on black crime. All of us should get together and not be fighting against one another - girls hating on other girls, worrying about everybody else and not themselves.

"That's the main thing, if everyone could come together ... We destroy the Island if we destroy each other."