Allen, Pessoa named Cornwall College’s ‘Men of Might’ at virtual awards ceremony
Two outstanding achievers, veteran journalist Desmond Allen, and security industry titan Ralston Pessoa, received the “Men of Might” awards from the Kingston Chapter of the Cornwall College Old Boys’ Association (CCOBA), at a virtual awards ceremony which pulled in almost $1 million.
Close to 200 participants from Jamaica and overseas, headed by special guest Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, logged in to hear reports from the school’s principal, Michael Ellis, and messages from sister schools Mount Alvernia High and Montego Bay High, and enjoyed musical items, including a surprise appearance from Morgan Heritage.
A feature of the event was interviews with both honourees before their citations were read by Dr Joseph Farquharson and the awards presented by the Chapter president, attorney Patrick Thompson.
In their replies, Allen, executive editor — special assignment at the Jamaica Observer, and Pessoa, head of Atlas Security, spoke of the influence of Cornwall College on their lives. In the words of the school song, it was “converting boys to Men of Might”.
Last year, the dinner to honour the two men had to be cancelled as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic. However, with little change in the pandemic’s virulence continuing into 2021, the decision was taken to hold the ceremony virtually, Thompson said.
“The initiative proved highly successful. Co-masters of ceremonies Leighton McKnight and Adley Duncan did a splendid job. The event not only honoured the two outstanding alumni, but also raised close to a million dollars for projects at the school,” he added.