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Nevisan
Mickia Mills Wins Conde Nast Essay |
Eleven-year-old Mickia Mills of Nevis was the winner of the 9th annual "My Caribbean Essay Contest" sponsored by Conde Nast magazine. Ananda Lawkaran of Trinidad & Tobago and eleven-year-old Nazira Habet of Belize were the first and second runners-up respectively.
Grand prize winner Mills received a $2000 scholarship and the opportunity to attend the World Travel Mart in London in November courtesy of American Airlines and the magazine. In addition, Mills' essay was featured in the November 2000 issue of Conde Nast Traveler. The runners-up each received a $500 prize and a certificate.
The essay contest, sponsored by Conde Nast Traveler, the Caribbean Tourism Organization and American Airlines, educates elementary school children on every Caribbean island about the importance of tourism to their country's economy. Grade school children of the 32 CTO member countries were asked to submit a 250-word essay on the topic referenced above. The entrants were asked to choose a quality that represents the "spirit" of their homeland that they would wish to preserve or improve upon in thc next Millennium.
The theme and rules for the 2000 "My Caribbean Essay Contest" were communicated to all CTO members and Ministers of Tourism by the magazine's publisher. The contest was then administered through the school system on each of the member islands/nations. This year, 27 islands/nations participated with over 1,000 essays received.
After a multi-step judging process involving the ministries of tourism, the ministries of education and CTO headquarters in Barbados, a finalist was chosen on each island. Each finalist and a chaperone was then flown to the CTO conference (held in October in Barbados) courtesy of American Airlines.
The other finalists are:
Anguilla, Dennica Lake Antigua & Barbuda, Alexis Hill
Aruba, Lauren Hoegen Dijkhof Bahamas, Allynn Pratt
Barbados, Caminee Walters British Virgin Islands, K'Nesia Brathwaite
Cayman Islands, Reshema Seeram Curacao, Tara-Elena Daniela Martel
Dominica, Danica Bradshaw Grenada, Tamica Dumont
Guadeloupe, Regis Fanhan Guyana, Quindel Williams
Haiti, Muriel Delille Jamaica, Zakiya McKenzie
Montserrat, Josette Winspeare Puerto Rico, Luis Santana
St. Eustatius, Michail Gumbs St. Kitts, Raven Bradshaw
St. Lucia, Akeem Jamaal Hippolyte St. Maarten, Francis Adaptie
St. Martin, Celine Desir Suriname, Sherwien Boeddha
St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Priyadarshani Ramsamooj
U.S. Virgin Islands, Kaoma T.L. Yearwood
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The Winning Essay |
Pottery-making began when the Arawaks and Caribs inhabited our island. Over the years, our people have worked hard to perfect the art, and today Nevis produces the best pottery in the Caribbean.
Not all tourists visit us for sand, sun, and sea. Many are interested in our past. How could we forget Bath Hotel, built in 1778, which lured the rich and famous to our shores, or Castle Church, the first church built for slaves.
Our African ancestors brought with them a love for music, and throughout our history, Nevisians have expressed themselves through music and song. Nevisians are proud of their traditional string band, big drum, steel band, and calypso music. The big drum reminds us of the struggle of our forefathers from slavery to emancipation. It is impossible to hear our string band music without shaking a leg.
Nevis is developing rapidly, but I hope that our people will remain humble and friendly. However, my greatest hope is for all children to be able to walk the streets without fear of crime or violence and to grow up in a drug-free, clean, and healthy environment. By the year 3000, 1 hope that more people will become computer literate. It will be very difficult to survive without these skills, and we must prepare ourselves now.
Nevis, O land of beauty, I love you. May you continue to offer peace and tranquility to those who visit your shores.