Nicole Nation tops NSWMA all-island essay competition
Published:Saturday | September 17, 2011 | 12:00 AM
MONTEGO BAY, St James:
University of the West Indies student Nicole Nation copped top honours in the National Solid Waste Management Authority's (NSWMA) all-island essay competition.
The 18-year-old entered the competition with a well-constructed piece on the 'Environmental Impact of Solid Waste Pollution on the Jamaican Environment', as part of her personal mission to help create a cleaner, greener Jamaica.
"Eventually, I want to see Jamaica get to the place where everybody is environmentally conscious, appreciating what we have," said Nicole, who hails from the parish of St James.
The budding ophthalmologist, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in medicine and surgery, is no stranger to victory, having won several essay competitions since high school.
Nicole considers herself an ambassador for the environment and it is her love for its preservation, fuelled by activism that drove her to enter this competition.
She also realised academic successes with nine Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate-level distinctions in mathematics, English language, principles of business, principles of accounts, religious education, information technology, chemistry, biology and physics.
Nicole, who has five units in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations subjects in chemistry, biology, pure math, communication studies and Caribbean studies, and holds an associate degree in natural science from the Montego Bay Community College.
When she is not quietly trying to preserve the Earth or racking up extraordinary scholastic achievements, Nicole may be found engrossed in any literature she can get her hands on. She also relaxes by watching television and listening to music.
Nicole has volunteered at the Cornwall Regional Hospital, Western Regional Health Authority, Catherine Hall Primary School Special Education Department, Montego Bay Learning Centre, Central Basic School, and have helped to raise funds to purchase water tanks for the Railway Lane Basic School and the Lethe School for the Deaf.