Regional Secondary School Essay Competition Winners Announced

The CARICOM Competition Commission (CCC) is pleased to announce the winners of its Inaugural Regional Secondary School Essay Competition, which concluded on March 31, 2020. The competition was a key component of the advocacy drive by the CCC to foster a competition and consumer culture in the region, from the ground up. Students were challenged to think about the importance and benefits of competition and consumer protection laws to the region. The CCC received 50 entries from students across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Students in the CARICOM region are commended for the high quality of essays the CCC received, and for their creativity in the use of pictures and videos in some instances to articulate their views on the benefits of competition and consumer protection laws.

There were two age categories for students: ages 12-15 and 16-19.  They were asked to write on one of two topics:

1. “How does fair competition among businesses benefit me and my region?” and
2. “How does consumer protection law benefit me and my Region.?”

It gives the CCC great pleasure to announce the winners of the two age categories as follows:

Ages 12-15 students

First place USD $1000: Hadassah Cuffy, Basseterre High School, St. Kitts & Nevis

Second place USD $750: Hadiah McBean, St Joseph Secondary, Guyana

Third place USD $500: Hayley-Shai Kassie, Montserrat Secondary School, Montserrat

Ages 16-19 students

First place USD $1000: Jerome Samuels, Jamaica College, Jamaica

Second place USD $750: Celeste Samuel, ASJA Girls’ College San Fernando, Trinidad & Tobago

Second place USD $750: Simone Ann Cruz, Sacred Heart College, Belize

Given the high level of essays submitted, the Commission also wishes to identify the following students whose quality essays need special mention:

Ages 12-15 students

Kya Knight, Deighton Griffith Secondary School, Barbados

Lorenzo Cuellar, Belize High School, Belize

Darius Payne, Naparima College, Trinidad & Tobago

Jude Mahase, Naparima College, Trinidad & Tobago

Jamal Mosely, Deighton Griffith Secondary School, Barbados

Ages 16-19 students

Toushanae Norris, Campion College, Jamaica

Zachary Ramsumair, Naparima College, Trinidad & Tobago

Raheed Gilzene, St Jago High School, Jamaica

Serena Blair, Black River High School, Jamaica

Jahmari Beecher, St. Mary’s College, Jamaica

The CCC specially thanks our judges and all independent regional experts who contributed in no small way to the competition’s success:

1. Mr. Bevan Narinesingh- Trinidad and Tobago Fair Trading Competition
2. Prof. Emerita Hazel Simmonds McDonald – University of the West Indies (recommended by the CXC)
3. Dr. Brian Francis- Barbados Fair Trading Commission
4. Mr. Hans Lim A Po – Former CCC Commissioner
5. Ms. Annmarie Grant from Jamaica Fair Trading Commission

All essays were second marked by the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) who are commended for a thorough and timely job:

• Dr. Dickson Osuala
• Mr. Antonio Fletcher

This regional essay competition would not have been possible without the partnership of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) who funded the competition and provided the consumer videos used to sensitise students across the region,; the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) and Barbados Fair Trading Commission (BFTC) who provided sponsorship; the excellent advocacy by the national competition and consumer authorities in the CSME in promoting the competition in their respective jurisdictions; the Ministries of Education in each participating Member State; and the teachers who ensured that as many students as possible participated in this inaugural competition. Thanks also to Naparima College, Trinidad for hosting live lectures by the CCC and sharing the live coverage on their Facebook page.

CARICOM Competition Commission