Staci Scott earns YCLA honours

(CNS Local Life): Staci Scott has been named the 2018/2019 recipient of the Young Caymanian Leadership Award (YCLA), out of five finalists nominated by the community, at a ceremony held Saturday, 10 November. During the event, Scott and fellow finalists Kacey Mobley, Kimberley Conolly, Samuel Young and Wilbur Welcome were all recognised and honoured for their work in the community.

A YCLA press release said Scott’s “ability to articulate her passion for lifelong learning and her heart for the Cayman community won over the honorary board of the YCLA”.

During her acceptance speech to an audience of hundreds at the Kimpton Seafire Resort, Staci spoke of the impact mentorship has had on her life. “I am standing in front of you tonight because someone believed in me, and they didn’t just take time to tell me, they took time to show me,” she said.

Scott challenged the audience to give at least one hour a week of their time to a young person and encouraged everyone to listen to Cayman’s young people’s fears and insecurities, help them with their homework, and assure them that they are enough, capable and worthy, the press release said.

“Growing up, I remember being told in school that Cayman was one of few countries with little natural resources in the traditional way of thinking, but what we have is more precious than any metal or fuel or crop: our natural resources are our young people and they are counting on us to love, support and mold them.”

Scott ended her speech with a story of her experience with little children in Uganda and a reminder to the audience to give Cayman’s young people the chance to explore, try new things and take risks.

“The best villages create an atmosphere where children are nurtured, protected and secure in the knowledge that they are free to explore and that home will always welcome them back with open arms. In Uganda or Cayman, that is what we should aim for.

“Children who are happy, content, supported, eager to learn about new things, and free to run – literally or figuratively – after the unknown. I am excited to see what we can do together,” she said.

Scott is involved in many community programmes including Literacy is for Everyonel; Big Brothers Big Sisters; 100 Women in Finance NextGen Mentoring Programme; and KPMG’s scholarship and corporate citizenship committees. Her work with these organisations is “her avenue to creating lifelong learning through mentorship and showing the young people of Cayman that they matter”, the release said.

During the evening, the audience also heard from keynote speaker, Spencer West, an author and motivational speaker with the WE Organization, a philanthropic group and social movement dedicated to shifting the focus on “Me” to “We” and empowering communities of individuals to work together to create powerful transformation in this world.

West’s life has been marked by many obstacles and challenges due to not having legs from a young age, the press release stated. However, West told the audience that instead of focusing on what he didn’t have or couldn’t do, he focused on what he did have, what he could do, and made it his mission to redefine what was possible – by asking for help.

Whether it was help in finding what he was passionate about in life, climbing the highest mountain in Africa to raise money for clean water for two communities in Africa, or to ring a bell to make a wish after climbing to the top of a mountain in India, West said he knew that if he was going to make a difference in this world and follow his passions, he would have to ask for help.

“A true leader knows when to ask for help. It shows your humanity. It shows courage and it rallies people around a specific problem,” he said.

He added that a true leader must also offer help if they truly want to make the world better. “It is up to each one of us to make the world a better place. I told you all those stories not to make myself look special, but show you that if I could still do it with physical disabilities, everyone else here has the same ability to do so.”

To book Staci Scott to speak to an organisation, email preferred dates to brianna@ycla.ky with the subject line, “Booking for Staci”.

Tags: YCLA, Young Caymanian Leadership Awards

Category: Community