YCLA nominations due Tuesday

The time to nominate young people for the Young Cayman Leadership Award is drawing near. 

Nominations will be accepted only until next Tuesday, 15 November. 

Nominees must be young Caymanians between the ages of 20 and 35. 

“There are so many young leaders that deserve the recognition, but it is up to the public to take the time and nominate them for the YCLA,” said Melissa Wolfe, “The Foundation relies entirely on the community to bring our young Caymanians to the forefront”. 

Anyone may nominate a Caymanian of their choice for this prestigious award, including employers, employees, parents, siblings, coworkers, fellow church members, friends or spouses.  

Previous recipients of the YCLA also encourage the process and comment,  

“The YCLA is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate young leaders not simply for their own sakes, but as sources of inspiration for our youth who are beset by so many negative influences in our society today,” said 2000 YCLA recipient Olivaire Watler 

Every year, five finalists are selected from the nominations that are collected from the community. All five young Caymanian leaders are honoured during the annual gala evening awards ceremony, which is televised live on Cayman27. During the ceremony, the recipient of the YCLA is announced on live television. The event, which sells out every year, is attended by hundreds of Cayman’s top community and business leaders. 

“It is not only recognition of past efforts, but the person who nominated me inspired me to continue to try to make a difference. This is one of the best ways to honour leadership and service in our community today,” said 2002 YCLA recipient Sara Collins. 

YCLA embodies the statement “he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed”. Every recipient is someone who has been inspired and encouraged by people who gave selflessly to make a positive difference in the lives of others. People who invested in the future of Cayman – its youth.  

“The first and most important rule of leadership is that they can’t do it alone. Our young leaders need your support now. Please nominate one of our shining stars for the YCLA so they can burn bright for all our young people to see that they too can reach for the stars,” said 2007 YCLA recipient Canover Watson. 

It is important to note that if a candidate has been nominated in the past, the nomination must be resubmitted for consideration for the 2012 YCLA.  

“The Foundation has received outstanding submissions over the years and we highly encourage people to resubmit those applications for the 2012 award,” said Mrs. Wolfe. “Those candidates have continued to show leadership qualities that should be honoured and recognised.” 

“If there was ever a time in your life that you wished you could make a measurable difference in a young Caymanian leader’s life this would be it. Don’t miss this opportunity to make a once in a lifetime difference,” said 2001 YCLA recipient Dax Foster. 

Nomination forms may be obtained by emailing [email protected] or online at www.ycla.ky