San Fernando Central Secondary student Aastha Kumar and Parvati Girls’ Hindu College student Shara Balkan copped the two top prizes for the inaugural Wired868 Write Start essay writing competition, with both scooping up $1,000 cash, $5,000 in Unit Trust shares, two six-month bmobile data plans, and two 4x gift certificates from CinemaOne.
Kumar, whose topic in the 16-18 category was to “Describe the ways in which you think the first post-Covid-19 Carnival will be different from its predecessors,” also received an additional $500 for the Best Researched Essay. Her essay suggested designer covid19 masks and a condensed Carnival parade as some of the expected changes to the festival in the wake of the pandemic.
[caption id="attachment_930196" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Brian Lara speaks at the Write Start prizegiving ceremony where he encouraged the top participants to appreciate and use their talents wisely. -[/caption]
Balkaran, who wrote a fictional piece entitled The Day I Met my Local Hero for the 11-15 category, also won a bmobile prize for the best piece on legendary West Indies cricketer and two-time world record holder Brian Lara.
Second place was worth $4,000 and went to St Joseph’s Convent (Port of Spain) students Ogechi Uche Nweze (16-18) and Kassidy Gaulteau (11-15).And third place, which carried a $2,000 prize, went to Naparima College’s Malique Aauguste (16-18) and Naparima Girls’ High School student Nishka Basdeo (11-15).
Lara was on hand at the Write Start prize-giving ceremony on Tuesday evening to encourage the top participants to appreciate and use their talents wisely, while London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Keshorn Walcott also attended and posed for photographs with students – including lucky Holy Name Covent (Port of Spain) student Amayiah Joseph, who dedicated her story to the javelin star.
The ceremony was held at the bmobile suite of the Queen’s Park Oval, with covid19 protocols strictly enforced.
Minister of Education Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly also spoke to students on the thrill of writing and revealed that she had just published her first book, Nyan…Inside Out.
The St Ann’s East MP distributed copies to parents and guests at the event.
[caption id="attachment_930195" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Brian Lara, left,and Shara Balkan who copped the two top prizes for the inaugural Wired868 Write Start essay writing competition. -[/caption]
US-based businessman Sean Powder, the patron of the effort, also addressed students and parents about the competition and has already promised to hold one in 2022.
Author, poet and stand-up comedian Lisa Allen-Agostini was one of the competition’s judges and urged students to think of writing as a muscle to be strengthened.Wired868 managing director Lasana Liburd commended the students and parents for being brave enough to take part and encouraged them to use the experience as fuel for their futures.
Apart from Powder, bmobile and CinemaOne, RBC, Massy Stores and Customised Health Solutions also helped sponsor the Write Start co
