St. Kitts and Nevis’ 25 Most Remarkable Teens Programme Welcomes New Cohort

Award Ceremony Held at Federal Parliament

(left to right): Remarkable Teens Jaheme Warner Ventura, Kaitlyn Collins and Aquanjé Robinson.

St. Kitts and Nevis’ 25 Most Remarkable Teens Programme welcomed a new cohort on Wednesday evening (November 06, 2024) during a special Sitting of the Federal Parliament.

Award Recipients Share Their Stories

Jaheme Warner Ventura, a 18-year-old spiritual leader and community catalyst, was awarded for Spiritual Commitment and Leadership. He has a deep commitment to God and spends his free time helping others. Driven by compassion and love, Warner Ventura dedicates himself to a variety of meaningful causes.

“My family always jokes, ‘Jaheme, you’re always helping so many people, but you’re not helping around the house!’” he said with a laugh. However, his mother’s visit to the Antioch Baptist Church opened her eyes to the spirit that drives his actions.

“Jesus served us, so in serving others I am actually fulfilling that purpose in my life and it comes so naturally when you are deep in the word of God,” he said, adding that his mother is “so proud of me.”

Kaitlyn Wilson, a 16-year-old star in gymnastics and aerial arts, received an award for Performing Arts and School Pride. She has gravitated to creative expression through dance.

“I love, love, love every genre,” she stressed, referring to her dance style. “Most dancers pick and choose which genre they want to be in but I have the unique blend and I love, love, love to dance.”

The 16-year-old added that our ancestors used dance as a way to showcase their feelings and invoke a sense of independence.

“I feel like dance connects me to our culture. We dance in different clothes to show how we feel … so I do not simply just move my body. I show my feelings through dance to the audience and.. people can watch me and say ‘wow, she is really remarkable because of her bravery, confidence, and she is truly resilient,’” added Kaitlyn.

Aquanjé Robinson, a young environmental advocate, was awarded for Environmental Science and Volunteerism. He has been working tirelessly to clean up plastic pollution and protect the sea turtles commonly found on various beaches along the Atlantic side of the island.

“We are surrounded by people, so if we try to transform our cars into sustainable cars, our agriculture sector with sustainable practices, the people that drive these (activities), they have to truly understand what it means to be sustainable,” said Aquanjé. “So educating our people on what it means to be sustainable, to change their behaviours has to be done. Create sustainable minds and they will help to lead sustainable lives.”

Conclusion

The 25 Most Remarkable Teens in St. Kitts and Nevis Programme is a celebration of exceptional youth who are making a meaningful impact in their communities. The programme aims to recognize and reward young people who are dedicated to making a positive difference in their communities.