Jerome Samuels of Jamaica made history and took home a cash prize when he won CARICOM’s first Essay Writing competition in the 16-19 age category. Jamaica’s Toushanae Norris, a student at Campion College in Kingston, received the top honor in the honorable mention category for students aged 16 to 19. This category was instituted as the CARICOM Competition Commission (CCC) was so impressed by the quality of the submitted essays that it made particular mention of the exceptional caliber of the students’ writing.
Jerome Samuels is a Lower 6th Form student at Jamaica College (JC). His school will also be presented with a prize related to his win. In 2019, Samuels was the Valedictorian at the 5th Form graduation. Currently, he serves as the president of the Jamaica College Debate Club, which is now known as Word Sound Empowerment (WSE).
The CCC announced the winners of the Inaugural Regional Secondary School Essay Competition following its conclusion on March 30, 2020. The agency’s competition focused on secondary school students between the ages of 12 and 19. To be eligible for participation in the competition, students were required to be residents of a CARICOM Member State, and they had to submit their essay on or before December 13, 2019. The competition was divided into two categories by age, with Category 1 for students between 12 and 15 years of age, and Category 2 comprising students between 16 and 19 years of age. The participants could choose to address one of two topics in their essay: How fair competition among businesses benefits the student and their region; or How consumer protection law benefits them and their region.
The CCC, which was launched in January of 2008, was established under Article 171 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC) of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The CCC has been involved with numerous events since its inception. These events are designed to promote fair competition and protection for consumers in the Caribbean region. It is responsible for executing a mandate to facilitate the exchange of information and expertise in the region and to develop and disseminate information relating to competitive policies and consumer protection.
