Eager faces shone brightly for the finale of this year’s Jamaica Observer Applaud It! series hosted by the Sagicor Group at its New Kingston offices on Friday, November 22.

Eight students from the Danny Williams School for the Deaf and their teachers were welcomed into the Sagicor Group boardroom for a day of fun, learning and a delectable four-course meal prepared by Chef Jacqui Tyson. The event was a unique experience as the students conversed with Sagicor Group executives with the assistance of their teachers and other sign language interpreters, creating a comfortable environment for learning.

Sagicor Group Vice-President, Communications and Digital Media Nicole Campbell-Robinson welcomed the group, proud that this event could honour the legacy of Sagicor’s late president R Danny Williams.

“We thank you for accepting our invitation and we really hope that you enjoy your time here. Don’t hesitate to ask us any questions. We hope to see some of you in a boardroom here, making the big decisions and making a lot of money,” Campbell-Robinson said, in welcoming the guests.

Jamaica Observer Senior Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Social Content Novia McDonald-Whyte was quick to remind students to enjoy the occasion and celebrate every phase of the experience.

“This initiative is called Applaud It! So whenever you feel good don’t be afraid to [applaud]. Everything today is a feel-good experience,” McDonald-Whyte remarked.

The students confidently introduced themselves and shared their favourite foods, with most of the group expressing their preference for spicy foods, as well as vegetables.

Chef Tyson introduced the four-course meal, under the theme Ring Games, with the goal of making the eating experience both entertaining and rewarding. The first course, named the Sip & Slide, was an open-faced beef slider topped with molten cheese, served with a sip of chicken broth.

McDonald-Whyte advised the students on how to enjoy their starters by cutting and eating small pieces of the beef and sipping the broth. The students were eager to learn and display their skills even as they informed the executives of their future aspirations. The majority of the array of careers named included doctor, police officer, nurse, and soldier.

The second course, aptly named Ring-A-Ring-a-Roses, comprised spirals of cucumber, beetroot and carrots, on a bed of mixed greens. As the students delighted in the array of colours on their plates, the executives were given lessons in how to sign different food items.

Danny Williams School for the Deaf Acting Vice-Principal Patrece Matthison, in a heartfelt delivery, outlined some of the challenges that the students face daily and the methods employed by the team to keep them motivated.

“The parents may not necessarily know how to sign, hence the inability to communicate… So you can imagine a child growing up and not being able to relate effectively with their parents.

“Then there are those who criticise and look down on [them] naturally affecting their self-esteem! We have to try and empower them, letting them know that they can [achieve great things],” Matthison stressed.

The faces of the students lit up even more as the colourful and wobbly Dandy Shandy palate cleanser consisting of various flavours of Jell-O cubes arrived. This prompted an enthusiastic discussion on their favourite movies.

The main course, called Hop Scotch, soon followed: Pot pie with cubes of marinated chicken breast, in a flavourful creme, filled with vegetables and topped off with a garlic flaky pastry shell. The styling, along with the meal, got two thumbs up from both students and teachers alike.

The excitement came to a close with a delectable dessert, named the Maypole: Layers of lychee, vanilla and sponge cake. There was a special surprise for the group as Sagicor Group President and CEO Christopher Zacca stopped by to greet the students, who were excited to tell him everything that they had learnt. Better yet, Grade Five student Kerrie Henriques and Raynelle Smith, who is in Grade Two, both celebrating birthdays this week and next, were serenaded by the group as they sang and signed the happy birthday song and blew out their candles.

McDonald-Whyte closed the session by thanking the Sagicor Group for its hospitality, enriched by the experience with the students. Sign language interpreter Toni Aiken said that the students’ lives have been changed for the better.

“On behalf of the students… I think that this will be a memory that will [stay] with them for a long time,” Aiken said.

It was a fitting conclusion to Applaud It! 2024 with lessons learnt and lasting memories made.