EIGHTEEN students from schools in the Brown’s Town, St Ann, area were recipients of scholarships from ICWI Group Foundation after emerging top three winners for their respective schools in the foundation’s essay competition.

The competition, which is in its second year, had its presentation ceremony at St Hilda’s Diocesan High School auditorium on Tuesday, November 7.

Six schools participated in the competition.

The top three students from each participating school will have three, four and six of their Caribbean Secondary Examination Council (CSEC) subjects paid for by the ICWI Group Foundation, as their reward for emerging victors.

According to the coordinator of the competition, Sandra Touzalin Butler, the idea for rewarding doing well in the competition was conceived in light of the high cost for students sitting CSEC subjects.

“You’re looking at $3,350 per subject and there are sometimes when that subject may have a practical so you have to add to that, and then there are fees. Children’s fees can come to as much as $20,000 plus or more, so we thought this was a great way to give back to the students that did well in the competition,” Touzalin Butler, manager of the ICWI Brown’s Town branch explained.

For Julie-Ann Henry, the mother of the top student from the competition, Othia Fyffe, six of her daughter’s seven subjects being paid for is a welcomed relief.

“These subjects are pretty expensive, so to have nearly all of them covered by ICWI is a lot of assistance. I am so proud that she worked so hard on her essay and has been rewarded in this way,” she added.

Henry also received the top parent award at the presentation ceremony after collecting the awards for her daughter who was absent because she was representing her school in netball.

Top teacher Patrice Christie-Bailey from Westwood High School lauded tICWI Group Foundation for continuing the competition.

“The students worked very hard at doing well in the competition because they were aware of the awards, so I want to applaud ICWI for this as it not only pushed the students out of their comfort zone but they have helped to ease a lot of burden off parents,” Christie-Bailey noted.

Nearly $470,000 has been awarded in the competition over its two-year duration to top students from York Castle, Westwood, Aabuthnott Gallimore, Ferncourt, Brown’s Town and St Hilda’s Diocesan high schools.