PHILIPSBURG--Twenty-year-old University of St. Martin (USM) General Liberal Arts student Ralph Cantave was the recipient of 2014-2015 “President of Parliament” Award.
There is much more work to be done to better the country’s youth, said Cantave when he accepted the award from Parliament Chairman Dr. Lloyd Richardson at the reception in Heritage House on Tuesday, to mark the opening of the 2015-2016 Parliamentary year.
Cantave said he intends to keep working on bettering the situation of young people through the “great plans” he has for St. Maarten, the Caribbean and further afield.
In his acceptance speech, the young man also signalled his future ambitions. “Today, I am accepting this award from the President of Parliament; who knows one day I may be the President of Parliament or even Prime Minister,” said Cantave.
The very confident young man has been active in the community on various fronts as a volunteer in the field of youth and heritage. The sophomore is involved with the African Caribbean Heritage Alliance, St. Martin Book Fair and youth magazine Teen Times.
He has been a volunteer at Ujima Home for boys for the past two years, and has been assisting at St. Maarten Museum and recently represented the country at the ninth UNESCO Youth Forum.
Cantave intends to continue his tertiary education by reading for degrees in public communications and political science.
The “President of Parliament” award is presented annually to a young St. Maarten resident who has significantly contributed to the betterment of the country. Nominees are submitted by the public and revised by a selection committee. The finalists were presented to the Presidium of Parliament for a final decision on the recipient.
