Friday, November 14th, 2008...2:41 pm

Kudos To The Gleaner Company

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It was a profound honour to be awarded the Most Outstanding Student in the Gleaner’s Go-local Net generation Competition 2008.

The competition has created an ideal avenue for youthful talents and expression in the creative art, photography and videography.

It has helped to spark tremendous zest and creativity among students, many of whom are curious about the technological realm and the offerings on the internet.

When my friend introduced me to the Information Technology Club at school and the upcoming competition, I shied away, not wanting to admit my sheer ignorance of computers. However, through fervent persuasion, tempered with my insatiable passion for writing, I availed my craft to the club and quickly became hyped up by the prospect of winning the competition.

I was always writing, more religiously during my second form year, when my Spanish and English teacher recognized my potential and spurred me on.

However, after entering the Radley Reid Founder’s Day Essay Competition in 2005 and emerging the winner, I embarked on a more serious pursuit of writing. I later won the Optimist Oratorical Competition in 2005, where I was awarded a trophy.

All these achievements simply bolstered my spirit and I just could not relent at investing and exploring more of the written art form.

For the Gleaner’s Go-local Competition 2008, I first published a report on our school’s Prize Giving Ceremony and a poem entitled “Reflection,” which lamented a vicarious rape experience.

Both pieces were met with an unexpectedly overwhelming reception from the judges and others who visited the website. I was highly boasted and felt more confident as I continued to write and expel my imaginations.

Writing was always a kind of therapeutic outlet for me. It helped to stimulate my mental sense, while luring me into a state of blissful relaxation.

However, I later discovered that it could also be used as a vocal instrument, which could give voice to the voiceless and hope to those were suppressed and oppressed.

This was the inspiration behind “Ghetto Story,” which narrated the experience of a juvenile delinquent, downtrodden and wounded by the abandonment of his father.

However, through the remarkable publicity of the story, he was offered assistance and encouragement to desist from his misdeeds.

From “Ghetto Story,” I continued to write other compelling pieces. From “Passa Passa,” to other narrative stories and poems,

It was this same zeal for writing that I bought to the Jamaica Observer TEENage Magazine, where I quickly adopted the art of writing for the media and worked my way up to becoming the Deputy Quarterly Editor.

I am currently anticipating my sojourn aboard, which I received as part of the Gleaner’s award. I am hoping to travel to Curacao in December with my teacher Miss Pryce.

I am really hoping that it will be an awesomely exhilarating experience, especially since I have never traveled before and I will be celebrating my 18th birthday then!

I really want to applaud the Gleaner Company and the other sponsors for investing in such a tremendous competition. It has afforded me a host of phenomenal opportunities, which have propelled me to unthinkable heights. Continue to create avenues, such as these, to unearth Jamaica’s richest talents. I feel bountifully blessed!

To all the schools that will be competing this year, use this competition to channel your creativity and perhaps discover those hidden talents. It’s very much possible to emerge triumphant and earn yourself and your school creditable acclaim. God bless!

By:  Shawna Kay Williams

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