Jaret Simmons wins Pettit prize

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23: CedarBridge Academy pupil Jaret Simmons has come top in an annual Thanksgiving essay competition.

Jaret, 15, was awarded a $1,000 grant for his work, with the same amount donated to his school.

Jaret, from Warwick, was one of six finalists honoured at the 14th Tom Pettit Thanksgiving Essay Competition today.

He said: “I’m surprised right now because I didn’t expect to win. I just wrote it from my heart.

“I didn’t think hard about it — the first thing was my family and the second thing was how the people who worked against me actually worked for me.”

Jaret’s winning entry focused on the support he got from mother Tracey — and told how childhood bullying, which caused a bout of depression, had made him stronger and more confident.

Jaret, who wants to train as an aeronautical engineer, said: “It wasn’t nice at all, but my mother kept reminding me and I kept reminding myself, it’s not what happens now but what happens in the future which affects you. I just kept my head up high.”

Patricia Pettit, a member of the board of Pettit Grants, set up in memory of her late husband, an award-winning veteran newsman for NBC in the US, said: “The standard of entry was very high and way beyond their years.

“It was very hard to pick a winner. It was the longest judging session we have ever had.

“The sincerity and enthusiasm of the judges helped ensure we got it right.”

Almost a hundred pupils from schools across Bermuda submitted entries. The judging panel were not told the names or other details of the pupils who entered.

Presenting the awards at Camden in the Botanical Gardens, Education Minister Dame Jennifer Smith said: “Writing these essays is a wonderful outlet for students to creatively express themselves, while simultaneously learning the true meaning of giving thanks.”

She told the young finalists: “You are all winners, not just for your excellent writing, but for choosing to participate in this essay writing competition. Some students didn’t take up the challenge.”

Dame Jennifer added: “You are never too young to make a difference. The written word, when mastered, is a powerful and beneficial tool. It can make a difference by changing the lives of the readers.”

The Pettit grants committee has given away $70,000 over the 14 years the competition has been running.

The other finalists were Jasmin Bacabac and Tahirah Smith, also both CedarBridge pupils and Kennedy Middleton, Jack Ricciardi and Amber Reid, all from Mount St Agnes Academy.

The runners-up each received a Commendation of Excellence, as well as a cheque for $500.

This year’s competition was sponsored by James Gibbons Ltd, Orbis Investment Management Ltd and the XL Foundation.