MINISTER’S CUP WINNER: Governor-General of The Bahamas the Hon. Arthur Hanna (centre) and Minister of State for Youth and Sports the Hon. Byran Woodside (left) present 25-year-old psychologist D. Kyran Turnquest the Minister’s Cup Award at the National Youth Recognition Ceremony, on October 17, 2007. BIS Photo: Derek Smith)
By: Eric Rose
NASSAU, Bahamas – A New Providence school psychologist received the Minister’s Cup from His Excellency the Hon. Arthur Hanna and Minister of State for Youth and Sports the Hon. Byran Woodside, at the National Youth Recognition Ceremony on October 17, 2007.
Darron Kyran Turnquest serves as psychologist at the St. Andrews School and is a counseling psychologist at the Bahamas Crisis Centre. Among his other posts are Director of Residential Planning at the Bahamas Institute of Adolescent and Child Mental Health and Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the College of The Bahamas.
At Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada, Turnquest was Chairperson of the Students’ Representative Council, Vice President of Student Affairs and Chairperson of the Judicial Board.
Turnquest volunteered with a number of agencies, including the Bahamas AIDS Secretariat, the Bahamas Family Planning Association and is a Sunday school teacher.
Among the senior government officials in attendance at the ceremony were Minister of Housing and National Insurance the Hon. Kenneth Russell, Minister of State for Public Utilities the Hon. Phenton Neymour and Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister in Freeport Senator the Hon. Katherine Forbes-Smith.
Awards were presented that night to several other young Bahamians, adult stakeholders and organisations.
Receiving the Most Distinguished Youth Award, for various islands, were Kimaley Thompson (Acklins), Amanda Sawyer (Abaco), Isheika Cleare (Andros), Andrea Winder (Berry Islands), Nannel Bain (Bimini), Dornella Newbold (Cat Island), Geron Moss (Crooked Island), Rebecca Johnson (Eleuthera), Keniqueca Armbrister (Exuma), Donald Thomas (Grand Bahama), Diverne Ingraham (Inagua), Jamal Griffin (Mayaguana), Jade Pratt (New Providence) and Cresswell Williams (San Salvador).
Nivia Smith (Grand Bahama) received the Pacesetter Award in Sports and Mario Armbrister (South Andros) received the Pacesetter Award for South Andros.
Other Pacesetter Award winners were as follows: Minister Deno Cartwright (New
Providence) in Religion, Mustafa Alibocas (New Providence) in Business, Jamere McIntosh (Grand Bahama) in Education and Chariots of Fire and Brigitte Strachan (New Providence) for the Creative Arts.
Nine adult stakeholders received recognition with the Governor General’s Outstanding Youth Leaders Award. From New Providence were Barbara Bethel of the Girls Brigade, Curtis Bryan of the Pathfinders and Leslie Hutchinson, Youth Ministry Coordinator, at St. Anselm’s Anglican Church. From Grand Bahama were Ron Dames and Leslie McDonald while from the Family Islands were Lincoln C. Young (Eleuthera), Colin R. Ingraham (Inagua), Elemena Bethel (Eleuthera) and Jason Roberts (Abaco).
Youth organisations received special awards, as well. From New Providence were the Student Christian Movement’s “You Gat Issues TV show” and the Pathfinders Mini Grant Programme (Bain & GrantsTown). From Grand Bahama were Bethel Deliverance Youth Center (Eight Mile Rock) and Rhode Runner Track Club (High Rock). From the Family Islands were Zion Baptist Youth Group (Abaco) and the Girls Guide Association (Inagua).
The Outstanding Band Award went to the South Eleuthera Marching Band (Eleuthera) and the Outstanding Band Director Awards went to Timothy Bailey and Yonel Justilien (New Providence).
