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2014 Calendar Candidates

For the second consecutive year, the ECFH Group through its annual calendar – continues to celebrate the excellence, talent and brilliance of young St. Lucians in the areas of sports, academics and the arts. Featured below are the fascinating profiles of the inspiring young people who have graced the pages of the 2014 ECFH Calendar. As a financial institution, grown from local roots, we are proud of our sons and daughters of the St. Lucian soil.

	MICHELLE SERIEUX Michelle Serieux is a St Lucian actress and filmmaker on the verge of international success. She holds a BA (First Class Hons.) in Media, Drama and Cultural Studies from the University of the West Indies and also pursued Photography and Performing Arts at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica. Michelle read for a Master of Arts in Film and Cinema Studies from the Ivy League Columbia University, and holds a Professional Producing Certificate from New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Michelle is the director/writer and producer of the short film “Missed”, starring Roger Guenveur Smith (American Gangster) and Sharea Samuels (Bullet Boy) which screened at the Short Film Corner of the Cannes Film Festival in 2012. She also became the first Caribbean recipient of the Tribeca Film Institute’s/WorldView Latin American Documentary Fund in 2012.
	SHAUNA MARIE GREENIDGE Brilliant…if there’s one word to describe Shauna Marie Greenidge, that’s it! At St. Joseph’s Convent she scooped up almost every subject award, and in 2012 graduated from Sir Arthur Lewis Community College having attained A* in Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics, making her at once the clear 2013 winner of the coveted Island Scholarship, and third-generation King family Island Scholarship holder #8, in keeping with that family’s outstanding tradition, beginning with her grandfather, the late Dr Owen King, and continuing with her granduncle, her aunts, uncle and not least her mother, Dr Amanda King-Greenidge. Shauna intends to study Environmental Engineering which she hopes will help her record significant breakthroughs in the area of renewable energy. This young woman also has a heart for charity, having volunteered in several goodwill ventures from her early school years.
	KURT ELIBOX Kurt Elibox was always the standout kid who had a solution to every problem. From his humble beginnings in the community of Marc, he went on to graduate from Castries Comprehensive in 2005, moving on to the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College where he studied Construction Engineering. After a 4-year stint with the Sandals Projects Department, Kurt started his own company, Blueprint Construction, offering full Design and Build Services, New Construction, Renovations, Civil Works and Property Development. Kurt Elibox was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the 4th Annual St. Lucia Business Awards, and at a mere 26 years of age, this self-driven entrepreneur is re-defining success and leaving an indelible mark on the construction landscape of St. Lucia. Incidentally, on the lighter side, Kurt owns his own entertainment company called New Generation.
	ERLAND GEORGE Every good cause needs an advocate, and Erland George is the irrepressible voice for environmental awareness and conservation among his peers. Currently serving as President of the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) St. Lucia Chapter, Erland was awarded Most Outstanding Youth in Social Development at the National Youth Awards 2013, and was also recognized by CYEN as one of its promising leaders. His encouragement to other young persons is this: do today what others won’t, so that tomorrow you can accomplish what others can’t.
	SHALA MONROQUE Shala has worked for the world’s most prestigious Fashion House, Prada, and is a Global Brand Ambassador for La Mer Cosmetics owned by Esthee Lauder. Her rise in the fashion and beauty world itself being a story of inspiration. Shala left Saint Lucia for New York in 2000 to take on a babysitting job which never materialised, however her infectious personality and simple island manners won over many hearts including that of one of the leading art dealers in the world with whom she was associated for many years. Shala’s connection to that world meant that she got to immerse herself in art and fashion at the highest level and would herself tap into her own great fashion sense, catching the eye of The House of Prada, which made her a consultant. A search for Shala Monroque on Google will bring up a host of amazing photographs which has popularized a new industry called Street Style Blogging. She has been featured in Vogue and Bazaar and other leading international fashion magazines and writes for Garage. She is the Co-Chair of the New York Public Library and last year in collaboration with La Mer she started “Kids4Coral” a local initiative that teaches children how to swim and snorkel.
	NINA COMPTON Those of us who followed her exploits on Top Chef on Bravo would have been proud of the culinary talents of Saint Lucian born and bred, Nina Compton. Daughter of Father of The Nation Sir John Compton, and Lady Compton, Nina chose a career that surprised even her parents, but according to her sister Janine, “From a little girl, Nina loved cooking and spent most of her time in the kitchen.” Nina attended the Carmen Renee Memorial and the Castries Comprehensive Secondary School, later graduating from The Culinary Institute of America (2001) and embarking on her professional journey at the famous restaurant Daniel in New York City, working and learning alongside Celebrity and International Chefs Daniel Boulud, and Alex Lee. She worked with top toques like Norman Van Aken and Philippe Ruiz, and also at the famous Versace mansion on South Beach, Miami. In 2008, Chef Compton joined Scott Conant at Scarpetta, Fontainebleau as Sous Chef and now takes a lead role in the Scarpetta kitchen, introducing new items to the menu while maintaining the restaurant’s high standards and 4-Star rating.
	NYSA ANNE PIERRE Eleven-year-old Nysa Anne Pierre, a ‘go-getter’ since kindergarten, proved to be a top student at Dame Pearlette Primary where she won Math competitions and received an award for General Science (her favourite subject). She went on to top the 2013 Common Entrance Exam from a field of 2,657 students with a score of 98%. Nysa now attends St. Joseph’s Convent where she intends to get involved in track and field, choir, peer helpers and the young leaders’ programme. Her hobbies are reading, singing, dancing and athletics, and she is active in her church choir, also doing readings and intercessions. Nysa wants to become a teacher someday, so that she can pass on her knowledge to students.
	JOHNSON CHARLES Described as one of the most fearsome hitters of the ball, this ironically calm, introverted young man, Johnson Charles, is one of the rising stars of Windies Cricket, especially in the T20 format of the game. Born into cricket in the cricket-crazy Tête Chemin, Millet community, he was able to ascend to the international scene, through the guidance of mentor Brian Calixte. Only the second St. Lucian to play for the West Indies Senior Team, Charles matured quickly as an opening batsman alongside Chris Gayle, and though his 84 against England in the 2012 World T20 remains one of his most memorable innings to date, he quickly bettered that a few months later with his maiden ODI Hundred against Australia. Not surprisingly, in the inaugural CPL in 2012, the legend himself - Sir Vivian Richards - handpicked him for the Antigua Hawksbills team.
	RAVINDRA MANGAR A humble persona, a towering intellect, making for a fascinating 17-year-old Calculus major, Ravindra Mangar, top CXC performer 2013, whose career path favours the road less travelled, is currently a student of Pure Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. With an eye on reading Aeronautical Engineering at MIT and one day designing his own aeroplane, this young talent epitomizes academic excellence and obviously reaches for the stars. Interestingly, Ravindra travelled to the US three years ago and organized for his dad to get him into MIT. Prescient? Prophetic? We’ll certainly be watching.
	LAVORNE VERDANT As a child, she had boundless energy and pursued karate, dance, drama, public speaking and youth development, the latter being her passion. Lavorne holds an Actuarial Science (Hons.) degree from the University of the West Indies (U.W.I.) Mona Campus, where she was a Dean’s list awardee, recipient of the Principal’s Scholarship for Academic Excellence and a Level One Actuarial Science awardee. Lavorne’s leadership qualities have come to the fore through her work with the National Youth Council, the Commonwealth Youth Programme, United Nations Development Programme and the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports. A career in politics is a real possibility for this current Vice President of the National Youth Council.
	YOUTH OF FIRE MINISTRY Youth on Fire Ministry (YOFM) founded in 2004 to combat the high levels of delinquency, substance abuse and teenage pregnancy among the young people of Anse la Raye has, over the past 9 years, become the most vibrant youth group in the villages of Anse la Raye/Canaries and one of the most prominent Youth-oriented clubs in St. Lucia. YOFM provides opportunities for young persons to develop their creative talents, improve their academic performance and deepen their spirituality. Among the group’s major achievements were performances the National Arts Festival which propelled them into CARIFESTA 11 in Suriname. YOFM recently expanded its vision and scope to include a programme for children ages 10 – 13, the objective being to instill morals and values and nurture the creative talents of the children from an early age. YOFM intends to start a soup kitchen to cater to the underprivileged, elderly, and young persons of Anse la Raye.
	ED HARRIS In the kitchen was where the passion began. A graduate of the Art Institute of New York, Ed Harris Jr. specializes in different styles of Cuisine, Asian being his favourite. Ed has worked as a Tournant, Junior Sous Chef, Banquet Chef, Executive Sous Chef, Dim Sum Chef, Expeditor and Saucier. The St. Lucian native and son of Business Consultant and Columnist, Ed Harris Sr., is now a Consultant Chef, who has appeared on the Food Network as Winner of CHOPPED “Turbot Powered”, and on “Chef Wanted” with Anne Burrell. Ed also contributes to several charities including Taste of New York, Autism Speaks and the James Beard Foundation.

Click here to view the 2013 Calendar Candidates