Tea with the governor, video interviews and lunch with the premier are just some of the activities planned for the top five finalists of this year’s Young Caymanian Leadership Award.
The five finalists are Kadi Merren-Pentney, Katrina Jurn, Michael Lockwood, Chevala Burke and Lydia Warren.
Every year, Caymanians ages 20 to 35 are nominated for the YCLA award, which is in its 14th year. The initiative is headed by the Young Caymanian Leaders Foundation and celebrates the work and achievements of local young people.
The process begins with a general nomination process open to the public, and then a subcommittee of YCLA alumni chooses from the pool of applicants and determines the top five finalists. Over the next couple of weeks, the finalists will go through an interview process and the winner will be chosen by a board of 15 of Cayman’s leaders.
Finalists will be judged based on certain attributes, including communication skills, personality, character, and the availability and willingness to represent the Foundation if awarded the title.
Ms. Burke, 33, of Cayman Brac said she was thrilled to have been chosen as a finalist.
“Personally, I am quite honored to be nominated. It is a very prestigious award, one that I encourage all young Caymanians to strive for,” she said.
“My feelings towards it really embody and support what the YCLA foundation stands for, which is rekindling the cultural spirit of the Cayman Islands.
She said being a good leader involves “being able to listen, being involved, and to really give everything they’ve got, and to always try their hardest.”
Ms. Burke is employed by the Cayman Islands government as a marketing and promotions manager in District Administration, representing both Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. She is also a group leader for the annual Vacation Bible Schools for Fellowship and Ebenezer Baptist Churches and is assistant secretary for the Sports Association of the Sister Islands.
Another finalist, Ms. Merren-Pentney, 27, said she was happy to be chosen. “It’s an incredible honor. It’s something, because I don’t really do anything that I do for recognition. But it is nice to be recognized once in a while,” she said.
“I actually met the other four participants last Saturday, and it’s a nice group of people. I think it’s good that we will all be able to work together after this done.”
Ms. Merren-Pentney, is a certified public accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. She is active in the community, currently serving as president of the Kiwanis Club of the Cayman Islands and leads her company’s involvement in Junior Achievement. She is also the driving force behind the “Join in Recycling” initiative in Cayman.
The theme of this year’s YCLA ceremony is “Fan Into Flame: A New Generation of Leaders,” which centers on encouraging young people to overcome negative influences.
“I feel honored to have been nominated by the person who nominated me and then to have been short-listed. There’s many great young Caymanians who are a part of this fraternity and it’s a real honor to be included,” said finalist Katrina Jurn, who is an environmental advocate.
“I don’t know that I have the best leadership skills … But, I’ve seen a need in the community, and when I see that there’s a need for something to be done, and nobody else is doing it, I feel strongly and passionately about doing something about it,” said Ms. Jurn, who co-founded Sustainable Cayman, and was instrumental in the “Protect South Side” environmental protection project in South Sound.
“I am truly honored and humbled by this nomination for the YCLA 2014,” said finalist Michael Lockwood.
“We, the finalists, have already been welcomed with open arms into the family of the YCL Foundation. It is a great organization which promotes leadership, importance of family and continuing community involvement to strengthen the ideals that made people of the Cayman Islands what we were and are today.
“I am fortunate to now be a part of this family.” Mr. Lockwood, an attorney with Maples and Calder, has served on various Cayman Islands Swimming Association boards, and is one of the organizers of the Pirates Week festival. Ms. Warren, 34, is a teacher at John Gray High School, where she is a learning mentor for some 300 children, as well as a member of the senior management team.
She is a graduate of Leadership Cayman, a volunteer for the Cayman National Cultural Foundation, and former chair of the Primary Literacy Task Force, the team that drafted Cayman’s National Literacy Policy.
“It’s very flattering” to be chosen, Ms. Warren said, adding, “Obviously you do what you do and don’t necessarily think that anyone was noticing. It’s nice to know that someone took the time out to nominate me.
“It certainly does give you some exposure, and I enjoyed my first meeting with the other finalists, so it’s good to connect with other people.”
The 2013 recipient of the Young Caymanian Leadership Award was Cayman Islands Department of Tourism director Shomari Scott.
“We believe there is a spark of greatness, a hope and a passion, in each and every young person. That spark needs to be kindled till it becomes a flame, and a positive way forward needs to be shown to the youth,” Roy McTaggart, chairman of the YCLA Honorary Board, said in a media release.
The 2014 gala dinner for the Young Caymanian Leadership Award is scheduled for Nov. 1, at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.
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