Jamaica’s future leaders convened at The Best Dressed Chicken processing plant in Spring Village, St Catherine on Monday, November 18, for the second day of The Jamaica Observer’s Applaud It! series.

Ten students from St Mary’s College, St Jago High, St Catherine High, Clarendon College and Denbigh High were hosted by The Best Dressed Chicken team which included Regional Marketing Manager Avadaugn Sinclair and Director of Sales and Marketing Michael Jones.

Sinclair opened the session in the boardroom by introducing the team and welcoming the students to what she called their “first day of work”, learning the inner workings of the company as well as learning crucial social skills that will be beneficial to the next phase of their lives.

“You are finishing one chapter and heading to the next, and we just want to give you some tools to prepare you for the next journey,” Sinclair explained.

Jamaica Observer Senior Associate Editor, Lifestyle and Social Content Novia McDonald-Whyte then welcomed the gathering, emphasising the importance of having the necessary dining and social etiquette to achieve a competitive advantage supplemented by the various qualifications received.

The Best Dressed team, as well as the students and their teachers, introduced themselves before they were given a tour of the processing plant, guided by Shane Black, Best Dressed Chicken shift manager of furthering processing. After an eye-opening tour, the group returned to the boardroom to experience an exquisite four-course lunch prepared by Chef Jacqui Tyson. The Best Dressed Chicken Group Human Resources Manager Michelle Fitz-Henley and Vice-President Dave Fairman joined the students for lunch.

The first course was creamy potato soup with chicken croutons and Hamilton ham cubes. McDonald-Whyte demonstrated the proper soup-eating etiquette, while Fitz-Henley and Fairman shared their professional journeys which started in different fields. The conversation sparked the interest of Denbigh High School Head Boy Demaro Powell who, although interested in law, was intrigued by the other avenues the company offers.

Fitz-Henley, who has a background in law, encouraged Powell not to limit himself in his pursuits as every skill gained can be used to shape one’s professional life in the future.

“[Law] is a skill I use every day, in every conversation, and in every contract I have to negotiate. Don’t think it limits you to what you can do. Because you never know where it can take you,” Fitz-Henley said.

The conversation intensified during the second course, a watermelon and apple salad, infused with mint on a bed of greens. St Catherine High Head Boy Robinho Shettlewood and Denbigh High Head Girl Fearon McLean both shared the current challenges they face from the pressures of leading the student body to the difficulty in making career choices.

Fairman advised the gathering that while their paths may not be smooth, having the necessary resilience to deal with challenges will make them stronger in the long run.

“That is part of the journey of responsibility. It’s not a road map that is laid out for you that you can predict. That is also the beauty of life. Sometimes it’s challenging and you need to know how to deal with it,” Fairman said. “You are not throwing up your hands and saying, I don’t know what to do here. But once you have the end goal in mind, you can work through it.”

The conversation continued as a chilled cucumber lemon drop was served as the palate cleanser before the group was served the main course, a grilled pimento chicken breast, resting atop a smear of Irish potato and citron-infused vegetables. Jones shared his journey starting from his background in agriculture to his first job at Best Dressed Chicken, emphasising the importance of having a passion for one’s work and finding mentors that will guide professionally and personally.

“You must enjoy what you are doing. Because I loved it, the passion was there and it allowed me to make waves,” Jones said. “As young folk getting into the business world, make sure you identify a very good mentor and build a relationship. It’s not just about just your job; it’s the experience and that’s how you learn, from the experience that you walk away with.”

The session came to a close with dessert, a delicious berry cheesecake topped with a trio of berries which had the appreciation of St Jago High Head Boy Gerrard Moncrieffe, who thanked Chef Tyson for the meal to thunderous applause.

The experience was impactful for the students who attended. Sheetwood said that he took the messages to heart, especially concerning being well-rounded in his academics and social activities.

“A lot of the messages here were very inspiring and I think that I can capture and learn something from here because I have my sights set on actuarial science, but I’ve learnt that why not [also] do something different? Why not volunteer your time? Because you don’t know where you will end up,” Sherwood said.

McLean meanwhile was optimistic about how the session helped to prepare her and her colleagues to handle the professional world thanks to learning from those who have succeeded at their craft.

“The information and the different insights from masters and people seasoned in the industry really just helped us and guided us and gave us things that we could also take away to help us on our journeys,” she noted.

Clarendon College Head Girl Akelia Holness was particularly inspired by the stories shared by the Best Dressed team, taking with her the importance of finding skills and passion and pursuing them.

”You may not always find your passion at the moment but you must try and understand yourself and understand what you like and take time,” Holness said.

Applaud It! continues today at Barita Investments.