GEORGE TOWN (Friday, 19 August 2016) – Students from the Cayman Islands have earned 7 gold medals, 23 silver, and 19 bronze in the 2016 Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society. Their results come from a total of 125 entries submitted.

In the junior and senior categories, submissions were made from the George Town Primary School, Prospect Primary, St. Ignatius Catholic School, Cayman Prep and High School, Clifton Hunter High School, and Layman E. Scott High School.

Last year, students from Cayman earned 4 gold medals, 8 silver and 10 bronze. Martina Watler was Junior Runner-Up.

This year, there were approximately 13,500 entries assessed by a body of more than 135 judges. Young people from nearly every country in the Commonwealth took part, exploring the theme of An Inclusive Commonwealth. Entrants wrote about contemporary issues including the Syrian refugee crisis, conflict migration in Africa and finding a diasporic identity.

Judges described the pieces as ‘brilliantly written’, ‘truly inspirational’ and ‘a sheer delight’, among a plethora of other superlatives. Here in London we are enormously proud of this year’s participants and impressed by the high calibre of entries received.

Over 4,000 bronze, silver and gold medals were awarded, and the following young people received the top prizes:

• Senior Winner: Inessa Rajah, South Africa
• Senior Runner-Up: Esther Mungalaba, Zambia
• Junior Winner: Gauri Kumar, Singapore
• Junior Runner-up: Tan Wan Gee, Singapore

The pan-Commonwealth Winners and Runners-up will be flown to London for a week-long series of educational and cultural events, culminating in an Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Please visit the RCS www.thercs.org to learn more about these four impressive young people, and to read their pieces.

About the Royal Commonwealth Society:

The RCS is the oldest and largest civil society organisation devoted to the Commonwealth. Founded in 1868, it conducts a range of events and activities aimed at promoting international understanding. Its educational, youth and cultural programmes include one of the world’s oldest and largest schools essay competitions, and an innovative international youth leadership programme.

Headquartered in London, the RCS has some 4,000 members in the UK, and a presence in over 40 Commonwealth countries through a network of branches and Commonwealth societies.

In the recent past, the Royal Commonwealth Society posted a complete list of all countries which submitted entries and the names of the winners. This year, each entrant will have to enter his or her ID number at the RCS website to download the certificate.