WESTERN BUREAU:
Governor-General Professor Kenneth Hall yesterday launched a special programme as part of his efforts to emphasise and highlight excellence among young people during his term of office.
At a Consultative Youth Breakfast of Excellence, at the Round Hill Hotel in Hanover, youth leaders told the Governor- General to focus on mentorship to encourage the nation's young people to strive for excellence. They argued that today's youth lack the motivation to achieve.
"We must acknowledge that they (youth) have made contributions and so I'm firmly committed to the notion that we must not only nurture excellence but we must acknowledge it, and we must reward it throughout the life cycle of our individuals," the Governor-General said in committing to the programme.
FOSTERING EXCELLENCE
Yesterday's breakfast, sponsored by Josef Forstmayr's Round Hill, was the first of four quarterly consultative forums geared towards exploring ways of recognising and fostering excellence in the nation's youth. The Youth Excellence Awards is linked to the Governor-General's Achievement Award which recognises persons of modest beginnings who have made a contribution to society.
"Young people nowadays are not motivated especially with reference to achievement," said Mikhail Miller, Munro College head boy and Pennsylvania Relays gold medallist. "Being motivated is the single most important contributor for me ... and I believe that for us as young people to move forward to educate ourselves and achieve excellence, we must be motivated," he added at the breakfast moderated by Earl Jarrett, general manager of Jamaica National Building Society.
POSITIVE FORCE
A cross section of achievers from the parishes of Trelawny, St. James, Westmoreland, Hanover and St. Elizabeth made several suggestions as to how mentorship can be used as a positive force in the drive for excellence.
Among the key points was the call for greater support of youth networking. They said the sharing of experiences is a powerful tool which can encourage persons in similar situations to do well.
