Outstanding Teen nominees hope to inspire

FRIDAY, MAR. 23: Passion, commitment and determination are just some of the qualities possessed by the nominees for this year’s Outstanding Teen Awards.

The annual award presentation organized by Teen Services acknowledging and rewarding Bermuda’s high achieving teenagers, takes place tomorrow evening at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel from 6pm. 

Bermuda High School student Chelzea Somner, nominated in the Sports category, is testament to how hard work in the low level teams can amount to great things.

Chelzea has played for the national hockey team — she was selected to play overseas for the team but had to pull out due to injury.

Chelzea has also travelled abroad with the national netball team and is currently training with the national squad.

Role model

“I really love my sports. I started out playing netball in my school and then someone saw me play and invited me to join their club team. I was playing in the Ravens Hockey Club and netball team in the more local leagues and because of that I was able to go on to national teams. I think I am a good role model in that regard because it’ll show younger children that if they do stick with what they do and even if they start at a low level you can work your way up to becoming a player on a national team.

“When you are in primary school and you are in sports you can feel like you are not as important but if you stick with it and are really passionate about what you do and determined and consistent and go to training often then people will see you and recognise your efforts and invite you on to come on to senior local leagues and then on to national sqauds.”

Chelzea said her other qualities include good sportsmanship both on and off the field.

“Attitude goes hand in hand with sports — you have to be sportsman-like and have to have a good demeanour.

“You can’t get angry when the referee doesn’t give you a call or a teammate misses the ball. You would never see that in my game, how I play or how I carry myself. That could be the reason I was picked to play.”

Chelzea plans on studying Medicine at Manchester University in the UK  and will continue to play netball and hockey and possibly some other sports she enjoys if she can find the time. Time will decide whether she pursues her dream to become a doctor or whether she plays professionally on a large international hockey or netball team.

Hailey Manuel, 17, of Bermuda High School has been shortlisted in the Performing Arts category. She has performed in numerous school productions, sang in the Bermuda Festival of the Performing Arts Opera Tosca and recently took part in Bermuda Glee.

In the Bermuda Glee project, Hailey and her group were given an episode of the TV show to use a stimulus for an original piece based on that episode.

“We had a week come up with our own production. We came up with one that was about the arts being cut from a school and so the students band together to bring it back and save it. It was really stressful because a lot of people in my group had very strong opinions so we would butt heads a lot but it was really worthwhile and our group became so close in the end.

“We did two performances on July 10 of the past summer — it was filmed as well at Berkeley.

“I made a bunch of new friends from a bunch of different schools who I would never have otherwise met so I think that was the aim of it, to bring people together… it was a great experience.”

Performing and musical theatre is something Hailey has always been passionate about and she has always expressed that to the people around her. She said she would like to pursue the performing arts at university.

Keevan Bailey, 18, was shortlisted for the Spiritual Leadership category and he says his singing has helped him to convey his message to fellow students.

“I believe I have the quality of singing which allowed me to start a youth choir at my church that has put me on the praise team to keep me an active Seventh Day Aventis.

“I mainly sing at school and church and I an going to take my choir to visit churches while doing the praise and worship for them.

“I use testimony and my testimony has brought many of my friends to Christ and brought them into a membership at the restoration ministries.

“It is a great privilege to be nominated for this award.”

Keevan said he would like to taking a major in music and is also considering doing a Theology degree with a view to becoming a pastor.

Where:  Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel
Date: Saturday, March 24
Time: 6pm for approximately 2 hours
Tickets: Available for $35 from Teen Services, 4 Happy Valley Road, Pembroke or by calling 292-4598. There may be tickets available for purchase on the evening bu t there is no guarantee.