[dropcap]D[/dropcap]espite inclement weather, slippery roads and snail-like traffic, Star Publishing Company opened its doors to welcome the top three performers in the STAR 30th Anniversary Essay Competition. On Wednesday 14 June, 2017 the top performing students arrived with parents and other family members in tow to find out how they’d fared in the competition.
After weeks of accepting exemplary work from students all over the island, including Corinth Secondary School, Bocage Secondary School, Vieux Fort Comprehensive, Anse Ger Secondary and Leon Hess Comprehensive, and conducting a thorough judging process, the STAR team was finally able to award the best of the best.
The top prize was awarded to Khadijah Halliday, a fourth form student of St. Joseph’s Convent. She received a laptop from Courts St. Lucia and $500 cash from First Caribbean Bank. In second place was Ariel Albert, also a student of St. Joseph’s Convent, who was presented with an electronic tablet from Courts St. Lucia and $250 cash from Nature’s Best. At thirteen years old, Ariel was among the youngest of the competitors. Third place was earned by Omar Combie of Sir Arthur Lewis Community College who won himself a smartphone from Courts St. Lucia and $100 gift voucher from Nature’s Best.
During the ceremony the names David Dilsuk and Mya Symister were also highlighted for outstanding pieces, namely Most Creative Essay and Best Researched Essay, respectively.
Smiles came not only from the delighted and accomplished students but from their excited parents. Joining the celebrations were the Courts Senior Marketing Supervisor, Melissa Marius, First Caribbean Bank representative Smerna Pompelis and Nature’s Best representative Jonathan Allain who all helped with affording an enjoyable prize-giving ceremony. A warm discussion about the topics chosen by students and their reasons for participating in the competition sparked, after which Omar was commended for being one of the fair number of boys who competed.
Coordinator of the essay competition, Claudia Eleibox, noted that STAR Publishing hosted the competition to encourage students to read and write, which was accomplished. “We are thankful to all the students who participated. It is important to us at STAR Publishing that the skill of writing is continued. It takes a lot of hard to work to get ink on paper in the newsstands and we hope to help students understand that too.”
Sponsors were thanked for encouraging the endeavour and doing their part in supporting our local youth. Kayra Williams, editor of the STAR and a judge of the competition, also commented on the exceptional vocabulary of some of the students and encouraged them to continue to work hard, especially in their writing.
STAR Publishing Company Limited will publish the best essays from the competition in its 30th Anniversary newspaper supplement at the end of June. Look out for these students’ impressive work and a featured interview.
