Thirteen-year-old Jaylen Brewster Howard, a student of The St. Michael School, is the overall winner of this year’s National Letter Writing Competition for Young People.
The competition was hosted by the Barbados Postal Service, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training.
Now in its 20th year nationally, the competition falls under the aegis of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) – the international agency responsible for governing and coordinating the exchange of mail worldwide.
The UPU has endorsed this competition with the aim of “fostering a greater appreciation for the art of letter writing among young people, promoting the development of essential composition skills and encouraging creative expression and research capabilities”.
The International Bureau, the secretariat of the UPU, selects a theme for the competition and publicises it globally. Participating countries hold their national competitions, often in collaboration with educational authorities and the media.
The theme for the 2024 competition, as set by the UPU, is: “At 150 years old, the UPU has served people around the world for more than eight generations. The world has changed enormously since then. Write a letter to future generations about the world you hope they inherit.”
Jaylen, who amassed a total of 178 points, edged out second-place winner Layla Browne of Queen’s College by one point, while Ahron Austin, of the Reynold Weekes Primary School, placed third with 141 points.
The second-year student expressed shock and excitement when he discovered he was awarded first place.
“It was great to be inspired to do something for my island, to represent my island. Honestly, I don’t really know how I really feel right now. Just feel great to win and get all these gifts.”
When interviewed about the inspiration behind his winning entry, young Jaylen disclosed that his English teacher (Mrs. Collette Applewhaite) introduced the competition to him and encouraged him to enter.
The 2024 winner revealed that he wanted to make his teacher proud, so he worked extremely hard to submit his letter in a short amount of time, submitting it within a week. He further confirmed that he will be entering next year’s competition.
Jaylen’s mother, Jillian Brewster, when asked how she felt about her son’s achievement, shared that she felt overwhelmed but very proud.
“I honestly didn’t even know that he entered the competition. I just … got the call and I’m just overwhelmed and I’m very proud of him because I know he enjoys writing. He actually wants to be a writer. So, this is…a good path for him; it’s a good result of his hard work and I hope he keeps it up,” she said.
The competition, which is open to young writers aged 9 to 15, saw hundreds of entries from across the island. It was judged by a panel of educators under the supervision of the Education Officer for English, Gloria Haynes.
The winning entry has been submitted to the UPU’s International Letter Writing Competition for Young People.