PRESS RELEASE – LAST Tuesday, the Spirit of Junior Achievement Awards was among presentations made at the annual awards ceremony held at the Finance Administrative Centre, Pointe Seraphine.
Governor General, Her Excellency Dame PearletteLouisy; Taiwanese officials; government ministers; and corporate partners were among the attendees.
Every year, JA participants are presented with certificates, bursaries and awards, with teachers and volunteers being rewarded with dinners, spa treatments and hampers donated by partner agencies.
The featured guest speaker, Johanan Dujon, Managing Director of Algas Organics, engaged students during his address, challenging them to ‘find their why’ saying, “To avoid the common pitfall of superficiality, the solution lies in one simple question: why? When you start to question the ‘why’, you are going into a new space where your thoughts and actions are more focused and deliberate. This will give you control over your destiny to a greater degree.”
The most exciting part of the ceremony was the presentation of the following awards:
National Achiever of the Year (NAOY)
1st place – ErmerleTisson, Choiseul Secondary School
2nd place — Cherri Ann Rosemond, Entrepot Secondary School
3rd place — SiahPreville, Babonneau Secondary School
Company of the Year (COY)
1st place: Decorations de Bambou, Babonneau Secondary School
2nd place: La Vie De Coco, Choiseul Secondary School
3rd place: Kreationz, Entrepot Secondary School
Best Attendance – Kreationz, Entrepot Secondary School
Best Records — Decorations de Bamboo, Babonneau Secondary School
Highest Return on Investment — Decoration de Bambou, Babonneau Secondary School.
The Governor General’s Award for Innovation, Originality and Creativity — La Vie De Coco, Choiseul Secondary School
The Spirit of Junior Achievement Award in memory of teacher advisor, Mrs. Patricia C. Brown — Entrepot Secondary School
Nathalbert Husbands of Union Vale Estate presented Choiseul Secondary School the other award in memory of former JA Chairman, Christian Husbands. Plaques bearing the winning schools were presented to Union Vale Estate and LUCELEC respectively and will be updated every year to reflect the winners for the period.
In collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and Junior Achievement, Union Vale Estate introduced the Christian Husbands Agri-preneurs Project (CHAP), a practicable platform that encourages entrepreneurial youth to participate and invest in the agricultural sector by effectively managing an agricultural-related enterprise during the programme year. Executives and employees of Union Vale Estate will provide mentorship and networking opportunities for participants.
Mistress of Ceremonies and JA Director, Angela St. Denis, encouraged students, saying, “Exciting times are ahead as we empower you to own your economic success. The introduction of CHAP is an opportunity to demonstrate teamwork, leadership and innovative thinking that will help you drive success in the business world.”
The board of directors and staff extend appreciation to the government, partners, Chamber members, principals, students, teachers, volunteers, the media and all who contributed to the success of the event and JA programme.
Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programmes are delivered by corporate and community volunteers and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship.
Please visit www.facebook.com/JuniorAchievement St Lucia or www.jastlucia.wordpress.com for more highlights of the event.