It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference. ~Tom Brokaw
All healthy societies need people who are willing dedicate themselves to making a difference. The 2016 YCLA Finalists all exhibit this quality of giving back to our community.
Dr. Kristina Maxwell is an active volunteer and advocate for community healthcare, wellness programs, and fitness. She has been speaking at event on this subject since 2011. Her most notable engagement has been Deloitte 90 Day Health Initiative. In 2012 she presented at the Millennium BCP Bank and Trust Health Initiative and the New Testament Church Health Fair. She also has served as a guest lecturer at the Department of Community Rehab and has been radio guest on “For the Health of It”.

Since 2012, she has been a “Be Fit Cayman” speaker and a guest lecturer for the Health Services Authority volunteer training program as well as for the Cayman Islands Hospital CNA program. In 2013, she spoke at the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority Health Initiative, and just this year she was a guest speaker for the CAL Human Resources Health Series.
Dr. Maxwell enjoys promoting her career path to others as she participated in 2011 at the John Gray High School Career Fair, was a guest speaker at the Cayman Prep School Career Class, and from 2011-2013 has been a Business EXPO and HSA participant.
She volunteers her time as an athletic trainer/physiotherapist for many teams and sporting events on the island. In 2011, she was both Caribbean U-19 Rugby Championships First Responder and a screening participant for Grand Cayman Special Olympics athletes. In 2012 through 2016 she was a NORCECA First Responder (2012-2013); Cayman Islands Indoor Volleyball, Island Games first responder (2013); First Full Tackle American Football Game athletic trainer (2015);U17 National Men’s Football (Cayman Select) team physiotherapist (2015- present). Her most amazing experience was this year’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games where she volunteered as the Team Cayman Physiotherapist.
Dr. Maxwell is an advocate for education and has a big heart for women and children’s issues. She volunteered in 2011 as a Biology teacher in the CXC Program. She is also a member of the 100+ Women Who Care Cayman Islands since 2015 and a current committee member for 2016. She also loves local culture and is a Pirates Week Festival volunteer.
This past year, Dr. Maxwell served as the coordinator for The Rowena Scott Memorial 5K Walk/Run.
“Rowena Scott was a receptionist who worked in our department, and she died in a tragic car accident,” explained the Health Services Authority’s Faith Gealey. “She was a young single mother of four children, and to honour her memory Dr. Maxwell came up with the concept to integrate exercise promotion as well as memorializing this young mother for her children.” The money raised was donated to the children’s schools for lunches and uniforms and the event was a great success,
The department is hoping to make this an annual event to honour the memory of Rowena Scott for her children, to help with school expenses, and as a way to get the community active through sport. “Dr. Maxwell is extremely organized and goal oriented, she is a team player but also a great leader. She comes up with goals and tasks to achieve as she is very detail oriented, but also is a true humanitarian to impact the lives of these four young children who lost their Mother, as memorialized by this event,” says Faith Gealey from HSA.

Mrs. Shena Ebanks is active in the community and on the volunteer scene as a constant supporter for children’s activities, church events, and human development through education and mentorship. Mrs. Ebanks is very active in her children’s school serving on the Sir John A. Cumber Primary School Parent Teachers Association. She is also the social media manager for the school and a parent volunteer reader in her daughter’s class. She also supports and volunteers with the Girl Guides and Rainbows organizations as well as organized a year 6 school educational trip to Washington DC.
At John Gray High School, she is actively supporting the Junior Achievement program as a course teacher. She has also helped students at John Gray by putting together the weekly spelling words for teachers. Shena is also on the Board of Governor’s at the University Colleague of the Cayman Islands. Sheena also serves as educator, mentor, and leader for the Human Resource profession, mentoring interns from Cayman Islands Further Education Centre (CIFEC) by assisting them with interview skills, job skills and resumes writing. She also advises employees who want to move into HR positions by cross training them. She also has coordinated and mentored Cayman Islands Fire Station Officers pursuing Associate’s Degrees.
Shena has been the Cayman Islands Society of Human Resource Professionals President since 2014. Her contribution included initiatives such as creating new awards to recognize organizations and professionals for their outstanding HR efforts. She is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management. She was also selected for the Deputy Governors Leadership Conference and is an active member at the Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church as a children’s church teacher and social media manager.
Mrs. Ebanks is a very energetic person, helping organize the CIG Pedometer Challenge and the Cayman Brac DG 5K co-organizer. “Shena was the glue that held this event altogether; she not only organized but also competed in the 5 km run. This event is an annual event fundraiser to raise funds to donate to the Deputy Governor’s charity of choice each year. Last year the funds were directed towards the purchase of an ambulance”, says Ventisha Conolly, who is also an YCLA Alumni.

Tedrick Green

Even when he was just a student at John Gray High School, Tedrick Green was recognized for his leadership and volunteering acumen. Teachers and peers, nominated him to represent the school as Head Boy. He was expected to maintain above average grades, be involved in school events, perform community service, and organise the Prefect body to undertake tasks that where set forth by the Principal.
In 2002, he was the Junior Achievement President for his club, K-man Creations. As the President he was entitled to implement the organisational structure for their company. They secured a small loan through Barclays Bank and went on to become the first runner up for the Company of the Year Award by offering a diverse product line, and operating at a profit. Despite his company’s second place win, Tedrick was ultimately selected as the President of the Year by the Junior Achievement Executive Committee.After the dissolution of the company, Tedrick was nominated to become 1 of 12 finalists in the Junior Achievement Debate competition; and carried on to be one of the 6 winners to travel to Halifax, Nova Scotia where he attended the Canadian Junior Achievement Conference (CANJAC).
The conference focused on honing leadership skill and provided him with the opportunity to work with delegates from around the globe, and participate in week long workshops with the common theme “gagner par le travail” (winning with teamwork). He still maintains friendships with some of the extraordinary delegate leaders with whom he forged lasting impressions.
Since his time at school he has continued to take on more leadership and voluntary roles which also led him to being selected to attend Rotary’s Young Leadership Awards (RYLA) in Florida; another conference from which Mr. Green continues to maintain relationships with young leaders around the world.In 2006 he started a company with the goal of offering more diverse Cayman inspired keepsakes, which ultimately support and promote tourism for the Islands.
Today, the company is known as Ted Green Fragrances, Cayman’s only perfume company, which also won him the Cayman Islands Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 award. In 2010 the Cayman Islands Society of Professional Accountants (CISPA) celebrated the success of young Caymanians who have recently attained their Professional Accounting Designation or Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. Tedrick was honoured as a rising young Caymanian within the profession as a CISPA Honouree.
Between 2010 and 2011 he was the Treasurer for the Cayman AIDS Foundation. This organisation is tasked with preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS within the Cayman Islands through education. They offer counselling and financial services to those living with the virus/disease. They also work to decrease the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS within our community. During this same period Tedrick ran his own accounting practice which focused on producing financial statements for small businesses seeking to obtain bank loans.

In 2013 Tedrick began volunteering with Kiwanis, an occurrence that seemed to have come full circle as he first began his volunteer works with Key Club (the youth denomination of Kiwanis) when he was a student at George Hicks High School.
“Tedrick Green is someone who is a born leader. From our first encounter at 15 I knew he would be a success story. He works hard and humbly smashes all his goals personally and professionally. Not only has he succeeded in his career but he is actively involved in the community. Tedrick has been involved behind the scenes with Kiwanis Club of Grand Cayman for almost 3 years. His passion for the Kiwanis especially the Buy a Kid Breakfast is admirable”, says Tonicia Williams past president of Kiwanis. Expanding on his passion for the community,
Mr. Green became one of the founding members for the Cayman Hub of Global Shapers. This organization is an initiative of the World Economic Forum whereby individual Hubs around the world undertake projects to improve the state of their communities. “A Global Shaper is a selected individual who is talented; possess professional qualifications and outstanding leadership qualities. He or she must also have the potential/ability to shape his/her local community with the result of global impact”, says Alison Maxwell another Global Shaper.
“Tedrick was specifically chosen to be a Global Shaper as he [is] recognized as an extraordinary individual, who could make a significant difference both locally and globally. As the [current] Curator of the Global Shapers George Town, CI Hub, Tedrick embodies all the qualities of a great leader. His professionalism, compassion, and commitment to the overall betterment of the Cayman Islands is admirable. His enthusiasm is infectious, and he is considered a role model amongst his peers.”
He recently returned from the Global Shapers, Annual Curators Meeting in Geneva Switzerland where he met with leaders at the World Economic Forum, CERN, the UN, and various private and charitable enterprises around the world. He says that this experience was a defining one, and has challenged him to commit himself to creating vast and meaningful impact in the Cayman Islands community.

Alexandra ‘Lexi’ Bodden

Dr. Alexandra Bodden is an active participant and volunteer within the community as the President of the Young Business Professional Women Club of Grand Cayman since June 2016 organizing wellness seminars to increase membership, and assist with fundraisers such as the “Back to School Drive”. She is the Co-Chair for the Health and Wellness Committee of the Business Professional Women Club of Grand Cayman; running “Happiness 101” Stress Management Workshops for local colleges and Lunch and Learn on Schizophrenia for World Mental Health Day in 2014. “BPW Grand Cayman is very proud and honoured to have Lexi as part of our Club. She immediately made an enormous impact within our Club and in our community through her Happiness 101 initiative, the World Mental Health Day BPW Lunch & Learn on Schizophrenia, her participation on BPW International health panels and all of her hard work and efforts in volunteering in our Back to School Drive, domestic violence awareness campaigns and other projects. Lexi was recently elected as the President of the Young BPW Club of Grand Cayman and the Co-Chair of the BPW Health and Wellness Committee. With her exceptional leadership skills, her drive and compassion, we know that the future of our Club and our beloved Cayman Islands are in great hands with Lexi,” says Ms. Andrea Williams, First Vice President and Past President of BPW. As well Dr. Bodden has been a part of 1oo+ Women Who Care Member since inception of the group.
Dr. Bodden is known in the local media as the Facilitator for Mental Health Matters Monthly Radio Show on Radio Cayman and on Daybreak as an“Inner Peace” Panelist. She has provided presentations to local organizations, such as Special Needs Foundation, Health Services Authority, and Junior Achievement; on Mental Health, Leadership and related topics. She was a speaker on TEDxUCCI Talk on “Harnessing Your Fear to Make Your Dreams Come True.”
Online she also finds time to write a Voluntary Professional Blog for self-help and mental health topics examples include: conflict-resolution, setting goals, stress management. Dr. Bodden used her drive to educate to develop an Applied Psychology Program at UCCI for Social Sciences Bachelor Degree Program, and started a research team to assess Dating Violence at UCCI with the Crisis Centre with input from students. At the UCCI International Conferences, Alexandra was a Registration Chair for two conferences and on the Sponsorship Committee for one. She volunteers her time at the West Bay Drop-In Centre (Mental Health) Development Team and through these efforts has both developed and administered needs assessment surveys.
But it’s not all about work without any play, Alexandra put on a musical Dressage demonstration for both the National Trust, Agricultural Show. “Mental Health is an underappreciated topic, and it speaks Dr. Bodden’s perseverance and determination to make the society healthier and better though keeping a solid focus on mental health topics. I have observed her dedication as a person who whole heartily commits herself to projects and provides exceptional professionalism to whatever she does and always sees tasks to completion”, Dr. Taylor Burrowes who is also a YCLA Alumni.

Brianna Wilkerson

Brianna Wilkerson devotes herself to the growth and development of others as her gift for leadership is motivated by her faith in Jesus and passion to see others be healthy and thrive in every area of their lives. Since 2007, Mrs. Wilkerson has been a member at the Church of God Chapel George Town. As a worship team leader, vocalist and active member she can be relied on by her fellow congregation to support the initiatives of the church family and community through worship and service.
From 2009 until 2011 in Tampa, she was an active student leader and mentor, and later a volunteer staff worker with the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at the University of Tampa. She was also a Tampa Underground Network Member and part of their Worship Team from 2011 until 2012 where she continued to grow in her leadership through worship music. During her time in Tampa, she also took on the roles as Vice President of Networking, Mentoring Director, and Newsletter Editor from 2009 until 2010 with the Beta Alpha Psi (the Accounting Society) where she had the opportunity to develop her professional and relational skills and then teach others in those areas as well.
Upon returning to the island after graduating from University, she continued to volunteer at the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in the Cayman Islands. In her role as volunteer staff with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship for the past six years, Mrs. Wilkerson has poured every ounce of herself into the growth and development of college students, particularly women. She also volunteers as the Board Treasurer for the ministry here in the Cayman Islands.
Brianna is a path setter and active member wherever she goes, at her worksite PricewaterhouseCoopers she is a Corporate Social Responsibility Committee Member since 2013 to present. She also has makes it a priority to mentor other Young Caymanians at PwC in areas such as CPA exam prep, how to navigate their first few years working, and how to create work life balance in their lives.
Moreover, her passion working with women in particular and meeting the needs of others took her down a path to promote wellness through holistic health and nutrition coaching. Through regularly teaching nutrition classes at Crossfit Cayman and through her health coaching business, Made Well, she says she is able to empower others to make decisions to be healthy and thrive in all areas of their lives.