Wilkie Cumberbatch, St. Winifred’s, and Queen’s College Students are Top Entrants in the Central Bank of Barbados Essay Competition

Author(s): Central Bank Of Barbados

Xia Greaves-Woodroffe, Slade Evelyn, and Tianna Applewhaite emerged as the most outstanding students in the Central Bank of Barbados’ 50th Anniversary Schools’ Essay Competition.

Greaves-Woodroffe of Wilkie Cumberbatch Primary School and Evelyn of St. Winifred’s School tied for first in the highly competitive primary school category, while Tianna Applewhaite of Queen’s College was judged the best among secondary school students.

The announcement of the winners came on Tuesday during a presentation ceremony in the Courtney Blackman Grande Salle where the students received their prizes from Central Bank Governor Cleviston Haynes.

Due to the high calibre of the entries, the judging panel awarded prizes to seven primary school students, who wrote on the topic “A Day as the Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados”.

Dr. Yvonne Weekes, a member of the judging panel and a lecturer in Theatre and Arts Education at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, was full of praise for the students:

“The essays we read were imaginative and creative – and showed even for those submitted by the primary children a strong ability to conduct research. Indeed, they were a joy to read. We believe that hard work, excellence in creative writing and research should be rewarded. Having set clear criteria for both the primary and secondary essays, the judges had no problem whatsoever in presenting multiple awards.”

Amarisa Maloney of Wilkie Cumberbatch and All Saints’ Primary’s Michaela Forde and Dominic Hoad all placed second, while Jaiquan Greene of All Saints’ and Liam Jordan of St. Winifred’s jointly placed third. Ajolie Armstrong, also of All Saints’, received an honourable mention.

In the secondary school category, where students wrote on the topic “The Role of the Central Bank in the National Development of Barbados,” Devonté Coppin of the Christ Church Foundation School placed second to Applewhaite, while Theirry Gittens of The Lodge School placed third. Fellow The Lodge School student Jáheim Thomas received an honourable mention.

The top prize in the primary school category was $750 in cash, a tablet and a trophy, while the winner of the secondary school competition received $2,000, a tablet, and a trophy. The winning schools each received a projector.

The Central Bank of Barbados’ 50th anniversary celebrations are being held under the theme “Living the Legacy: Continuing the Journey.”