Proud of Them: Allison Flores-Hernandez and Nathan McCoy
(CNS Local Life): To introduce the public to the latest crop of Proud of Them recipients, the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports, Agriculture and Lands is releasing biographies of the 10 young people recognised. Allison Flores-Hernandez and Nathan McCoy have both been honoured for their academic achievements.
Flores-Hernandez (14) is a “model student known for being conscientious, courteous, helpful and industrious”, the ministry noted in a press release. The Layman Scott High School student in Cayman Brac has been very involved in her school from interschool sports days to maths competitions to membership in the student council.
She is a solid A student who has been on the honour roll from her early years, received excellence, conduct and leadership and top student awards since Year 1, and was the first student in Cayman Brac to receive the Rubis Top Student Award.
From an early age, people noticed her talent for public speaking, the release said, and she has been asked to sing and speak publicly, and has accumulated numerous awards for speech, drama and singing at the National Children’s Festival of the Arts. She is the secretary of the Debating Club and has competed in the Conyers Inter-Schools Debate Tournament Novice division and the Claudette Upton Speech Competition three times, winning the latter twice.
She has been a member of Girl Guides Cayman Islands for the past five years, is the president of the Leo’s Club of Cayman Brac. She has been involved in beach clean ups, and outreach to senior citizens to organising healthy breakfasts for students and doing candy sales for fundraising.
While McCoy (18) is being recognised for his academic prowess “it is his character that truly stands out”, the ministry said. He was the 2014 Cayman International School (CIS) scholarship recipient and attended the school for four years.
He is described as displaying genuine care and concern for all people, and having a welcoming presence that supports and encourages others.
McCoy received the Dodie Ebanks Humanitarian Award in Grade 12; Student Citizen of the Year in Grades 10 and 11; and Gold Honour Roll awardee for all quarters of Grades 10, 11 and 12.
Among his other achievements, McCoy was vice president of the National Honour Society in Grade 12; goalkeeper for the CIS football team; member of the Model United Nations team in; CIS STEM Conference Ambassador; KPMG Brain Bowl participant ; CIS representative in the DART Minds Inspired Math Competition; and a trumpeter in the advanced band.
He has also given back to the community. He was a tutor at CIS as well as in George Town Primary School; a member of the Volunteer IMPACT 345 teen service group; and a sabbath school teacher at his church. He also took part in school service trips to Peru, Nicaragua and Costa Rica where he did such tasks as work in a soup kitchen, help to build a kitchen, paint schools and plant gardens.
McCoy graduated from CIS in June 2018 and is attending Baylor University where he is studying public health.
Read the full biographies here
Category: Youth
