WHEN 11-year-old Zachary Ransome walks through the gates of Presentation College, San Fernando, on Monday, he will be stepping into a legacy that has shaped both the culture and politics of Trinidad and Tobago.
The famous Carib Street school has produced two prime ministers in Patrick Manning and Basdeo Panday, a president in Anthony Carmona, and two of soca's brightest stars, Machel Montano and Kees Dieffenthaller.
Now, the multiple Junior Calypso and Junior Soca Monarch winner begins his own chapter in that history, balancing books with music while carrying the cultural expressions of the nation into the future.
"I'm honoured and elated, to say the least," an upbeat Ransome told the Express on Wednesday morning. "I hope to be able to continue the tradition of excellence that the institution has established."
Performing in school and on stage
Ransome already has an impressive résumé for someone barely out of his tween years. His breakthrough in calypso came with a fearless rendition of the late Shadow's (Winston Bailey) "Bassman" at Aunty Tova's Icons of Calypso competition, securing him first place in the 12-and-under category.
As a student of Montrose Government Primary School, he went on to capture the Junior Soca Monarch crown in 2024 with "Rankatang", win four consecutive Eastern Credit Union Junior Monarch titles, and produce his own soca parang tracks, "First in the Kitchen" and "Sing Zacky Sing".
In 2025, Ransome added another Junior Soca Monarch title with the Jason "Shaft" Bishop-written "Play Ah Mas", a call for Caribbean unity that underscored his maturity as a performer. Ransome also famously shared the stage with Montano during his Calypso Monarch-winning performance of "Soul of Calypso" in 2024.
Yet even as the spotlight grows brighter, Ransome insists the classroom remains his top priority.
"My mother ensures that I take my schoolwork as seriously as I take performing," he revealed. "I always try to divide my time well and give all my focus to whatever I'm doing at that time."
Despite his growing fame, Ransome still sees himself first as a boy growing up in T&T and expects his new classmates will embrace him as another one of the boys.
"I am a normal 11-year-old. Performing is something I love to do, but it's one part of me," he clarified. "Once I'm offstage, I'm just Zachary. Titles don't make me, me. That comes from the things and people I love and those who love me."
Lessons from a tradition
Still, following in the footsteps of Montano and Dieffenthaller is not something Ransome takes lightly.
"Just being mentioned with Uncle Machel and Uncle Kes is an honour," he smiled. "The one thing I've learned from them is that success comes from hard work, so I'm going to keep working on being the best me I can be."
That discipline is rooted in his strong family ties. He points to the role his mother, Morisha Ransome, and extended relatives continue to play in keeping him grounded.
"My mother, aunts and uncles have been critical in supporting me and showing me that with God, hard work and perseverance, I can do all things."
Those are values Ransome believes tie directly into the meaning of Independence and Republic Day. He strives to be a living example for his generation on how best to carry forward the pride, freedom and culture that make our people uniquely Trinbagonian.
"We can best do that by carrying on the traditions, learning our history and sitting at the feet of our elders," Ransome explained. "Trinidad and Tobago is unique, and we must hold to these forms because they make us who we are."
The open road ahead
Even with so much already achieved, Ransome remains open-minded as to where life might lead him.
"Maybe, yes," he said, laughing, when asked if he dreams of being an international soca star.
"Or maybe a doctor, or international footballer," he added. "I honestly don't know yet, but I'm going to work hard at every stage and make the most of my opportunities."
Whatever path he takes, he knows music will remain a key part of it.
"I want to tell stories of us, our country, our people, and what I think and feel," he concluded. "Whatever the story, it must be positive. Always positive!"
For a boy entering Form One, those words carry more than ambition. They echo the wider ethos of Presentation College and the deeper legacy of T&T itself, where an emerging generation of dreamers stand ready to carry the national story forward.