A junior contestant in this year’s Communication Contest for the Hard of Hearing (CCDHH) upstaged the field, taking the overall top prize in the event that offers scholarships to the winners.

The champion, Shanelle Grandison from the May Pen Deaf Unit, was sponsored by the Optimist Club of Sunset Liguanea in Kingston.

Second place went to Shanel Bowling of Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf in Knockpatrick, while Jade Gordon from Lister Mair Gilby School for the Deaf placed third. She was sponsored by the Optimist Club of North St Andrew.

The event, which was held at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in St Andrew on May 12, had 10 contestants.

The CCDHH is the companion contest run by Optimist International for high school students with hearing impairment. The other contest is the Oratorical for students who are not so affected.

Both contests are scholarship-winning exercises with the winners getting US$2,500 to assist with their education.