The six Cayman Islands semi-finalists of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association Foundation 2006 Children’s Essay Contest were recently recognised by Minister of Tourism Charles Clifford for their achievements.
Students from across the Caribbean were invited to write essays on the topic: ‘Why should your destination be on a Cruise Ships’ itinerary’. Essays were judged on content/subject, creativity, style/structure and grammar by a local selection committee, said a press release from the Department of Tourism.
‘Competitions such as the FCCA Essay Contest help students of all ages to build a greater awareness and appreciation of the tourism industry, hopefully leading to them choosing to enter the tourism workforce,’ said the Minister. ‘I would like to congratulate all of the Cayman Islands semi-finalists whose well written essays were delightful to read and caught the attention of the judges.’
The Cayman Islands semi-finalists in the Junior Division (age 12 and under) included Aaliyah Webb from Prospect Primary, Clare-Louise McGrath from St. Ignatius Prep and Kyyell Coe from Cayman Prep & High. Senior Division semi-finalists (age 17 and under) included home schooled Rachael Zimmer, and Stephen Chin and Noelani Bothwell, both from St. Ignatius High.
Aaliyah Webb and Rachael Zimmer won their respective age groups, with their essays being submitted to the FCCA for the regional adjudication round.
‘We were very proud to find out that Rachael Zimmer actually placed second in the Senior Division regionally,’ said Patrice Donalds, Tourism Training & Development Coordinator for the Department of Tourism. ‘While Aaliyah and Rachael received cash prizes from FCCA, all of the semi-finalists received certificates and get to go onboard a cruise ship for a special luncheon.’
‘The main reason for my participation in the competition was my desire to challenge myself while seizing the opportunity to promote my country in a positive way,’ explained Rachael. ‘The essay honestly did not take much research at all, I simply included the aspects of Cayman which I found the most intriguing and the activities I found the most enjoyable. I believe personal opinion and experiences have a lot to do with writing these types of essays.
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