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 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.
