Kipps named 2011 Youth of the Year at awards ceremony

Anthony Kipps was named Youth of the Year at the fourth annual awards ceremony Friday night.

Kipps received a trophy at the National Youth Awards ceremony, which honours the nation’s best and brightest youths for their contributions to national development.
 

The Award seeks to honour an exemplary individual for their level of involvement, the positive impact of their activities on their school, community and society at large. 

It also recognises selflessness and the degree to which the individual stood to gain little or nothing, other than to positively affect the lives of others in the pursuit of their activities or cause.

Minister of Gender, Youth and Child Development, Senator Verna St Rose-Greaves, and her junior minister, Ramona Ramdial, presented the awards.

In addition to being named the Youth of the Year, Kipps, who is differently-abled, received an Award for ‘Youth in Special Circumstances.’

The awards were made in 14 categories:

• Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Candice Lela Robinson
• Sport and Physical Activity: Jason Vincent, Darian De Silva
• Education: Adissa James, Akile Audain
• Music: Daran Roberts, Maria Adrianna Achaiba
• ICT: Moses Mike
• Arts: Stephanie Seenath
• Dance and Drama: Kevin G Scott, Avelan Ragoonanan
• Leadership: Simone Delzin, Amikar Sanatan
• Agriculture: Nkosi Felix
• Environmental Excellence: Jason Calderon
• Youth in Special Circumstances: Anthony Kipps, Kriyaan Singh
• Community Service: Haddassah Hector, Avion Thompson
• Community Youth Organisation: Rotoract Club of Tobago

Minister in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Stacy Roopnarine, was given special recognition and presented with an award for being the youngest serving MP.

St Rose-Greaves noted that youths are over-represented in negative areas such as unemployment, teenage pregnancy and crime. 

She said she is proud of the young people who are making positive strides in national development.