FISH seller Pius has had to holler in his professional life. From now on, he will want to shout his heart out from the rooftops, telling the world about his son P M Jose Rijan, the topper in the State SSLC examinations, results of which came on Saturday.

Rijan has secured 496 marks out of 500, scoring 100 in Mathematics, Science and Social Science, and 98 in Tamil and English.

The 16-year-old, a student of St Mary Goretty Higher Secondary School, Manalikarai, near Thuckalay, wants to become an aeronautical en gineer. Financial constraints have made it a struggle so far for him and his family.

And though he would not say it, he will need more than just best wishes to get what appears rightfully his.

Rijan said his father, the sole earning member in the family, had been struggling to educate him and his three siblings. “My parents are hoping that my elder sister Charlin Rija, who is pursing BSc Nursing, will raise the financial status of the family after her studies,” he said.

Incidentally, Rijan has managed the top score without private coaching.

Apart from his parents, he owed his success to the support of his principal and teachers. “My teachers used to spend extra time at school by conducting special classes and regular tests for me. I gradually mastered the habit of completing my daily lessons without fail,” he said.