EYES glowing with pride, Diane Hitchener smiled as her son Timothy Hichener on Wednesday walked away with the top prize in the National Essay Competition put on by the Lay Magistrates’ Association of Jamaica.

The 11-year-old student of Our Lady of the Angels Preparatory School based in St Andrew, emerged victorious from a batch of 43 participants in the annual competition.

The essays were on the theme: The effects of the current economic situation on school life and the solutions. Ten primary and preparatory schools entered the competition.

“He got it (assignment) for homework, he did his research. But he did not do it at home, he went to school and did it all by himself… I didn’t even know until after he submitted it,” said the excited single mother at the award ceremony held at the Holy Cross Church Hall in St Andrew.

“We are very impressed, we have a lot to celebrate for him. The competition is one but his success in the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) is another. We plan to have a lot of celebrations, I haven’t finalised all of it as yet,” she added, bursting into laughter.

Timothy will be attending Campion College in September. He describes as a “great feeling” his accomplishment in both the GSAT and the essay competition.

“I feel great because I really wanted to go to a good school and to know that I did it myself … winning this competition also adds to the feeling,” he said.

Jordan Salmon of Mona Preparatory School and Ashley Clarke of St Andrew Preparatory School received second and third place awards, respectively.

Retired primary school teacher Esylin Williams, one of three persons who marked the essays, said her task was a huge one. She said Timothy’s piece really stood out.

“He had all that we were looking for – his content was good, originality, his language usage; all of the criteria were there. It portrayed even more than the others,” she said.

She noted the participants’ ability to identify the issues arising from the declining economic situation in the school system, and the students’ capability to find solutions.

“Every year we try to come up with a topic that deals with current issues, and that is how we really came up with this topic… It (the competition) has been very good each year – well supported by most of the schools in all 14 parishes,” said Clarice Campbell, chairperson of the competition’s organising committee. The competition has been going on for more than ten years, she said.