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Hon Harris holds Nicole Pickering, while Principal Elliot looks on, to the amusement of the other pupils and teachers |
Charlestown Nevis (October 17, 2004) -- Nevis’ finalist in the 2004 Condé Nast Traveler “My Caribbean” Essay Contest, nine-year-old Nicole Pickering, left the Federation on Saturday to attend this year’s Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) conference in Aruba, as a special guest of Condé Nast Traveler and the CTO.
The petite grade 4 pupil at the Violet O. Jeffers-Nicholls Primary School in St. James’ Parish, and a resident of New Castle, was the centre of attraction Friday as the area representative and Minister of Health, Social and Gender Affairs, the Hon Mrs Jean Harris joined the entire school to give her a warm send-off.
“We are very pleased to send our youngest ambassador off to Aruba,” said Hon Harris. “While out there, Nicole will not only represent her school, but the island as well and I am wishing her well. We want to encourage her to go to Aruba and represent us well. I hope she returns with the grand prize.”
The school’s Principal, Mrs Ermileta Elliott, presented Nicole with a cash gift for her out of pocket expenses, and on receiving the gift she said: “I am very proud to be going to Aruba to represent Nevis and I hope I will do my best.”
The CTO conference will be held between Sunday, October 17 and Tuesday October 19. As a special guest of Condé Nast Traveler and the CTO, Nicole was to be honoured at the Conference’s opening reception, dinner and ceremony, participate in an educational island tour and attend the annual awards ceremony, where the Editor-in-Chief, Mr Tom Wallace would announce the grand winner and two runners-up.
Nicole’s essay was on the famed Bath Springs in St. John’s Parish. Accompanied by her mother, Ms Claristine Pickering, as a chaperone, the two left Nevis on Saturday for St. Maarten, where they boarded a connecting flight to Aruba via Curacao.
While Condé Nast Traveler had provided a complimentary round-trip ticket and 50% fare for her mother’s ticket to travel from Nevis to Aruba through Puerto Rico, the two almost missed this once-in-a-lifetime chance, as they are not holders of an American visa that would have allowed them to make a stopover in Puerto Rico.
“With time running short, the Nevis Island Administration stepped in to assist Nicole,” observed Minister Harris. “We decided to buy her a ticket that would take her through St. Maarten where she does not require a visa, while her mother’s employer, the Jade Group of Companies, through one of its directors, Mrs Susan McWilliams, bought the other ticket.”
Also travelling from Nevis to attend the event was the Director of Research and Development at the Ministry of Tourism, Ms Elmeader Brookes, who travelled through Puerto Rico, and was to be at standby in Aruba to welcome Nicole and her mother.
