WITH entries coming in from all across the Jamaica — both electronically and hand-delivered — the 2012 IRIE FM/Tarrus Riley Freedom Writers competition showed just how talented our young people are.

The competition was an open call for 12 to 17-year-olds to say in 200 words or less, what Black History meant to them in the form of poetry or song lyrics.

The outstanding piece came from 16-year-old Roberta Whyte, a student of Mannings School in Westmoreland. The piece was honest, open, simple. It won over the judges.

"I was so excited when I heard that I had won. It was so unexpected," a beaming, smiling Whyte explained. The unique aspect of her entry was the fact that she wasn't trying to enter at all. "I really had no intention of entering. I heard the ad and decided to simply share my thoughts."

Those thoughts won her both recognition as the winner of the competition as well as a brand new iPad courtesy of Tarrus Riley.

Roberta recently concluded her CSEC exams where she performed well. When asked about her future career plans she said "I'm looking at the JDF. I'd like to get into the field of air-traffic control."