Over 300 students, parents and volunteers enjoyed another great Junior Achievement Awards banquet at the Marriott representing a record attendance at the end of year event for one of the country’s oldest youth initiatives.

12 awards were granted to students for their performance as the top leaders in the areas of president, marketing, finance, HR, production, sales and a host of other areas as the students were recognised for their efforts individually and as teams throughout the Junior Achievement year. Eight students were also chosen to attend the Next Generation Leadership conference, in Canada.

The event is also used as a means to recognise and thank those that make Junior Achievement a success.

“I want to thank the volunteers and our corporate ambassadors, Maples, HSBC, Caledonian, the Cayman Island Government, BDO, Rotary Central, the Chamber of Commercre and Dart said Mr Paul Byles, President of Junior Achievement”. “The tremendous success of this youth program would not have been possible without their efforts, he added.

But Mr Byles also singled out parents for their contribution on the evening.

“I realise that as parents you may find it unusual that we would thank you for making the effort to support your children in a program such as this one. But in times like these when many parents seem to find it increasingly challenging to balance career and family commitments, you have continued to make it a priority to support your children in Junior Achievement and that investment is long lasting”, he added.

My Byles said he remained very encouraged by the participation of students in the program and was extremely grateful to the students, parents and supporters who continue to support this valuable program.

He congratulated the students for their various achievements throughout the year and encouraged them to share their positive experiences with their peers.

This year’s keynote speaker was Ms Marzeta Bodden a former JA student and respected young entrepreneur whose most recent accomplishment was successfully organising the inaugural TEDx Event in the Cayman Islands.

This year’s Junior Achievement awards were:

President of the Year – Vanessa Burke of Corkology sponsored by CITCO

Vice Presidents of the Year:

Marketing – Althea Naomi Miller of Corkology sponsored by CITCO

Finance -Michael Cummings of Corkology sponsored by CITCO

Production -Marika Scotland of Sniff N’ Smile sponsored by CIBC FirstCaribbean

Company of the year – Kman Kraft sponsored by Cayman Airways

Product of the year – Mind Crafters sponsored by DMS

Most Promising Male Achiever -Dejian Solomon of U Message sponsored by Rotary Sunrise and CI Yellow Pages

Most Promising Female Achiever – Alexandra Jennings of Namyac sponsored by Maples

Pat Randal Award – Joel Maxwell of U Message sponsored by Rotary Sunrise and CI Yellow Pages

Photo Caption – Next generation Leaders Winners:

Front Row (l-r): Marika Scotland, Kaitlin Lee Pack, Bianca Tibbetts, Nathanya Tibbetts

Back Row (l-r): Jordan Grant, Finley McDougall, Scott Burley, Hasani Stewart

About Junior Achievement of the Cayman Islands

Junior Achievement of the Cayman Islands is a not-for-profit association and is funded through the generous contributions from the business community and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprising representatives appointed by Rotary Central, the Chamber of Commerce and elected associate members. JA offers a number of programs aimed at Cayman’s youth. Together these programs impact over 1,200 students each year. These include: the Company Program, JA Career Success and Job Shadow for high school students, Economics for Success for Middle School students and Ourselves for Kindergarten students. Rotary Central introduced Junior Achievement to the Cayman Islands in 1991 and partnered with the Chamber of Commerce on the popular program that focuses on youth.