Twelve students from the oldest high school in the Caribbean — Wolmer’s Boys’ School — enjoyed a 60-minute culinary global adventure courtesy of Victoria Mutual (VM) Wealth Management CEO Rezworth Burchenson, VM Group President & CEO Courtney Campbell and members of their executive team who participated in the Jamaica Observer initiative Applaud It! that teams the country’s business leaders with the next generation during a formidable dining experience intended to hone the students’ social skills.

Indeed, Burchenson, himself a proud Wolmer’s Boys’ alumnus, encouraged the students to stay true to the school’s motto, Age Quod Agis, which translated from Latin means: whatever you do, do it to the best of your abilities.

This set the tone for Tyson’s culinary journey which began in Asia and was aptly labelled Ode to Simplicity. It comprised lo mein noodles, tossed in a light glaze alongside a vegetable sushi roll. The plus for the students was the chopstick demonstration by Tyson team member Dwayne Grant.

VM Wealth Management Marketing Manager Sharon Sterling initiated conversation with the young men, many of whom were club leaders and shared their experience in authoritative roles. Additional guidance on exerting authority was shared by the executives at the table.

Sixth-form student and Emerging Global Leaders’ Club member Anthony Givans used the opportunity to ask VM Group President & CEO Courtney Campbell about the hardest decision he’s ever had to make. “Making decisions that can impact another person’s life are the hardest,” Campbell responded, before adding that eliminating team members with whom relationships have been built is, too, extremely difficult. Sixth-former and Debating and Film & Camera club member Justin Newell concurred, sharing similar experiences in his role as prefect at the boys’ school.

The next stop was the continent of Africa. Nigeria, to be exact, where all 19 guests lifted the covers of their yellow and orange-coloured enamel mini pots in unison to reveal timbales of jollof rice, finished with slivers of herb-crusted chicken.

The palate cleanser followed, a mélange of Italian ice served in cocktail glasses. With the palate back to its original state and ready to explore further options, Tyson headed north-west to North America as she showed them how the West was ‘won’. With Thanksgiving on the horizon it was the perfect time to introduce Thanksgiving celebration, Jamaican-style. The jerk-infused roasted bird was hand-carved into slivers and served with cranberry sauce and cornbread. Tyson ensured the full experience was realised as she guided guests to share something they were thankful for while relishing the scrumptious bird. During the Thanksgiving meal VM Group Chief Customer & Brand Officer Judith Forth Blake encouraged the boys to be accommodating of diversity, open to new experiences and vigilant in developing an enduring spirit.

VM Group President & CEO Courtney Campbell, in his final charge to the students, underscored the importance of having excellent communication skills. Campbell, who admitted he was never top of his class, said he however was always an avid reader. As he signalled the importance of the Applaud It! experience, he shared, “Remember, when you graduate university, with first-class honours, there will be other people who will be just as qualified. What will differentiate you going forward is your people skills, and your ability to interact and relate to people from diferent cultures.”

France for the finale saw Tyson reimagining the macaron crumbled with a classic French-brûlée-style crêpe rolled with a fruit coulis and finished with cheesecake crumbles.

Thursday Food grants access to flavours of the world with Jacqui Tyson.