YCLA 2012 Finalists - who are they?

For over a decade, the YCLA has worked to keep the island’s youth on track by providing them with excellent role models with which to identify.  This year's five finalists are exceptional guiding lights and on 12th May we will celebrate the accomplishments of five young leaders who instinctively “walk the talk”. 

But who are they?  Read on to enjoy Garth, Dara, Casandra, Orchid and Samantha's biographies and to learn more about their individual achievements.

 

Garth Arch

Garth was born on April 20, 1976, in George Town.  He attended Cayman Prep School and is a graduate of John Gray High School.  Garth holds a BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Miami, a MSc in Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and is currently working toward a PhD in Structural Engineering from the University of Miami. 

Garth serves as General Manager of National Concrete, and later this year will transition into the family business where he will follow in his father’s footsteps as Managing Director of Arch and Godfrey.  He is also the Founder of Arch Engineering.  Garth is a Registered Professional Engineer in the U.S. in addition to being a Chartered Civil Engineer and a Chartered Structural Engineer in the U.K.  He is a Chartered Builder and an Ambassador of the Chartered Institute of Building to the Cayman Islands.

In his commitment to public service, Garth is Chairman of the Children and Youth Services (CAYS) Foundation Board, Chairman of the Trade and Business Licensing Board, Chairman of the Planning Committee for the Governor’s Award for Design and Construction Excellence, and immediate Past-President of the Cayman Society of Architects, Surveyors and Engineers (CASE).  He is also a member of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise and a member of First Baptist Church. 

Garth continues to demonstrate his commitment to empowering and inspiring youth.  As the first appointed Honorary Consul of Spain in the Cayman Islands, Garth has developed a new scholarship to enable young Caymanians to study abroad in Spain, with the first student having been sent this past summer.  As CASE President, he worked to establish a mentoring programme in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce to encourage and guide students with an interest in design and construction, and is still active in the CASE Mentoring Programme.  He is assisting with the newly launched Set For Life youth work skills programme in Windsor Park.  Garth has also served as a Sunday school teacher at Elmslie Memorial Church.

Garth’s life is an example to young Caymanians of the value of hard work, determination and discipline.  He is a committed Christian whose life reflects a sincere devotion to his wife and family and a genuine concern for others. 

Dara Flowers Burke

Dara was born on June 15, 1982 in Miami, Florida and graduated from John Gray High School as class valedictorian, and furthered her studies at the University of Southern California's (USC) school of Cinema Television where she earned a bachelor of fine arts degree (BFA cum laude) in Writing for Cinema and Television. Upon completion of her formal education, Dara lived as a writer in Los Angeles. She returned to the Cayman Islands in 2004 and joined the Flowers Group where as the Marketing and Communications Manager she led the corporate rebrand of the Group. In 2006 she oversaw the organizational and infrastructure modernization of the sixty year old company earning her an appointment to the Board of Directors and in the future Dara is poised to take over the Managing Director's role.

Dara recently completed a Graduate Diploma in Law (with Distinction) from London based BPP University.

 Even from an early age, Dara felt a strong sense of community, volunteering throughout her childhood in the Youth to Youth scheme, a programme focused on preventing teenage drug and alcohol abuse. Currently, Dara serves as a director on the Cayman Turtle Farm Board. She is the first female and youngest member of the newly appointed Judicial and Legal Services Commission (JLSC), which has remit over Judicial appointments. Dara is also the coordinator of the ever-popular Flowers Sea Swim, which donates all proceeds to a local charity. Dara also helmed the organization of Penny Palfrey’s record-breaking 67 mile swim between the three Cayman Islands.

Dara donates her time to co-host the Conversation television show on Wednesdays on CITN, a show focusing on youth issues with a positive perspective. She guest co-hosts occasionally on the X107 morning radio show. She has also hosted the Miss Cayman Islands Pageant, the 3rd Annual Campaign launch for the Estella Scott Robert’s foundation, as well as spoken to young Caymanians at the Clifton Hunter High School, and students in the Passport to Success Programme.

Casandra Morris

Casandra was born on 9 May 1980 in the Cayman Islands and educated at John Gray High School and later at Albert College in Canada for her A levels. Casandra, a British Chevening Scholar, holds a Masters Degree in Marketing with e-Commerce from the University of Portsmouth, UK and earned her Bachelor of Science Degree (Magna Cum Laude) in International Hotel and Tourism Management from Johnson and Wales University, Providence Rhode Island.

Casandra is the E-Business and Research Manager at the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism. She is also owner of From Small Beginnings Ltd. (Diamond Events Management Group & Diamond Car Wash). 

In her previous role as Director of the Cayman Islands National Festival, Pirates Week, she played a crucial part in enhancing the destination’s national promotion efforts staging a host of attractive activities throughout the Cayman Islands.  She also served as the youngest Head of Marketing at the time for Digicel Group in Cayman, and has held marketing roles with the Turtle Farm as General Manager of Marketing and the Cayman Islands Tourism Association as Assistant Executive Director and Acting Executive Director.

Cassandra is well known for her strong Christian values. As the Youth Leader in her church and chairperson of the Youth Leaders National Executive, she volunteers her time to educate, encourage and inspire other young Caymanians and takes an active approach towards teaching them to live life in a positive way. She has developed her strong leadership skills through her extensive experience in leading and developing others through her many professional roles and her work serving the local community.

Orchid Morrison

Orchid was born on 6 December 1976 and was educated at Savannah Primary School and The Cayman Islands Middle and High Schools.  Orchid holds an International Baccalaureate Diploma from Lester B. Pearson College (Canada), a Bachelor of Arts, Joint Honours in Law and Economics from the University of Kent (England) and a Barrister at Law Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Legal Skills from the Inns of Court School of Law (England). Orchid is a qualified member of the Society of Trusts and Estate Practitioners and has been called to the Roll of Solicitors. 

Orchid was called to the Bar of the Cayman Islands in 2002 and until recently was employed as an Attorney at Law at Appleby where she specialized in the area of Trusts and Estates. Orchid will join HSBC in Bermuda as Legal Counsel in February 2012 where she will provide legal advice to the Securities Services division on mutual fund administration, custody and all Cayman related legal matters.

Orchid is committed to serving her community and joined the Legal Befrienders program associated with the Women’s Resource Centre to provide free legal advice to those in need. She has also served as a member of the Council for the Church of God and participated in the Chamber of Commerce Junior Achievement Program and assisted on a pro-bono basis with the legal establishment of several not for profit trusts in Cayman such as Professionals for Hope, University College of the Cayman Islands Trust, The Cayman Islands Disaster Recovery Fund and the Appleby Foundation.

Orchid is Chairperson of the United World Colleges Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to providing scholarships for outstanding Caymanian students to advance their academic careers by completing the International Baccalaureate Diploma program. Through her leadership role with CIUWC Orchid has changed the lives of several gifted young Caymanians, affording them the opportunity to advance by placing them in an academically and socially challenging yet rewarding environment and preparing them for their future career and life paths. She was the recipient of the Team Leader of the Year Award for Cayman Islands United World Colleges in 2012.

Orchid is also an accomplished artist having studied Art since her electives in high school and was the recipient of the Cayman Islands Cultural Foundation Award in Art in 1992. She has exhibited in British Columbia and in Grand Cayman and has work on show at the current exhibition at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.

Samantha Widmer

Samantha was born on February 18 1987 and was educated at Cayman Prep and High School. She won the coveted Donald F Hunter Scholarship at the age of fourteen to attend Trinity College School in Ontario, Canada where she graduated with honors and with a distinction medal in the sport of golf. Samantha earned a Bachelors of Science in Business with a Major in Accounting from Elon University, North Carolina, where she was a member of the Dean’s List and Athletic Honor Roll and a member of Elon’s Division 1 NCAA golf team throughout her university career.

 In 2005, Samantha started her accounting career with Ernst & Young in Grand Cayman, interning during her college breaks, and eventually reached the Audit Senior level.  In February of this year, Samantha will join the team at Dart Enterprises as their Property Management Accountant.

Samantha became the youngest board member of the Cayman Islands Golf Association in 2009, has been a member of the Cayman Islands National Golf team for the past twelve years and was ranked first in the Caribbean for both junior and amateur ladies in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010; won a bronze medal at the 2009 Island Games in Finland; has represented the Cayman Islands in over 25 countries around the world and takes great pride in encouraging the game of golf at all levels in the Caymanian community.  She hopes to one day become the first female Caymanian golf professional, in hopes to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

Recently, Samantha competed in the 2011 Miss Cayman Pageant and was the 2010 title holder of Miss Earth Cayman Islands, taking her to Vietnam for the international competition.  Only six months ago, Samantha lost her mother to a long battle with cancer and remains dedicated to keeping her memory alive.  Samantha is actively involved with “Caring for Life” supporting fundraising efforts to raise money for equipment for George Town Hospital; continues to display her mother’s artwork at shows around the island and enjoys working with “Cayman Hospice Care” to support their fundraising efforts to assist families in need.