FirstCare Medical Plan, R.E.A.C.H. Bahamas and Ministry of Education award three students with prizes valued at more than $1k.
NASSAU, Bahamas -- FirstCare Medical Plan in association with R.E.A.C.H. Bahamas and The Ministry of Education awarded three students with prizes valued at more than $1k at the award ceremony for the second annual Autism Awareness Essay Contest.
More than 65 high school students from across The Islands of The Bahamas including islands as far south as Acklins and as far north as Grand Bahama submitted essays on the topic "Autism in The Bahamas: Inclusion, Advocacy and Dispelling Myths."
"It is encouraging to see so many Bahamian students take part in this essay contest," stated Marcellus Taylor, Deputy Director of Education responsible for Planning and Transformation. "We have already seen the great returns on the government's investments in special education. We have witnessed students on the autism spectrum who have been integrated into mainstream educational institutions and are now sitting national exams."
A panel of judges including Ms. Barbara Dorsett of The Ministry of Education, Mrs. Bridgette McPhee of R.E.A.C.H. Bahamas and Mrs. Athena Pratt of First Care Medical Plan judged each essay independently. After two rounds of judging, the essays with the highest scores were selected as the winners.
Raphieal Newbold Jr., a twelfth grade student at Queen's College penned the winning essay and recounted his experience watching a toddler interact lovingly with his older brother who is affected by autism as an example for all to follow. In his essay, Newbold noted, "We can eradicate the teasing, the frowns and the harsh interferences. Together we can see significant improvement and advancement." Newbold received a $300 cheque from FirstCare Medical Plan, a gift certificate from The Shoe Village and an electronic gift from Custom Computers.

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