CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – THE top two students in the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) 2009 Essay Competition collected their prizes yesterday (Sept. 30) at the Charlestown Secondary School (CSS).
The students, Shelisa Glasford and Shaquille Lewis of CSS, received cheques for $5 000 and $2 500 respectively from ECCB’s Deputy Director Sybil Welsh. The presentation was made in the presence of Permanent Secretary of Education Joseph Wiltshire, CSS Principal Edson Elliott and the students’ classmates.
Welsh also presented a cheque for a grant of $3 500 to the school, which was collected by Elliott.
Welsh said the ECCB was proud of what CSS achieved in winning two of the four prizes at stake. She said a critical component of the Bank’s mandate is economic development and one of the key areas is human resources. She declared that it is for that reason the ECCB, which celebrates its 26th anniversary in October, sees the essay competition, and other developmental activities in education in which it is involved, as critical to its existence.
The Deputy Director praised the efforts of the students and the teachers, especially Principal Elliot who she said paid a keen interest in his students. She said their efforts went a long way towards ensuring the good showing of CSS students in the competition over the years.
Elliott said Glasford and Lewis continued the trend set by earlier winners from CSS, including Kalea Clarke who won in 2008. He said the trendsetters made it easier and that next year the current batch of students should feel comfortable about entering and winning. He encouraged them to start preparing for that competition now.
Wiltshire congratulated the winners for doing their school and Nevis proud. He said their efforts were commendable and should be an impetus for others to make an effort to do just as well.
Glasford wrote on “ECCU governments must ensure food security through an explicit regional agriculture police that delivers a productive agriculture sector”, while Lewis’ topic was “Regional Policies in the Caribbean”.
Both students plan to put their winnings toward their college funds.
More than 300 essays were submitted from the eight countries of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
