Taliah Cooper is pictured with outgoing Jr. Minister of Tourism Travis Cooper and present Jr. Ministers of Tourism are pictured with Samantha Cartwright, coordinator of the competition.

Taliah Cooper made history when she won the Jr. Minister of Tourism competition on March 27, becoming the first Family Islander to capture the coveted Jr. Minister of Tourism title.

Ms. Cooper, an eleventh grade student of Preston Albury High School in Eleuthera, was one of 14 students from around the country who advanced to the finals of the competition, which was held at Breezes Resort.  Her win brought the four-year Patrick S. Bain Scholarship tenable at the College of The Bahamas, an all-expense paid trip for four days to the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s Youth Congress, $500, a computer courtesy of Micronet, a phone courtesy of BTC and a trophy.  Additionally her high school will receive $500 and a floating trophy.


Taliah Cooper receives her gifts and prizes from Adriano Baldacci of Micronet, LaShawn Cartwright of BTC, coach Fontella Knowles, Tourism Permanent Secretary Harrison Thompson and Bahamas Hotel & Tourism Association President Stuart Bowe.

During her tenure, Ms. Cooper said, she intends to take the business of tourism further into the school system.
“My plan for this year is to push tourism to not only high schools but into the primary schools as well because if we can start from the bottom with the little kids we can show them that tourism is actually very important in our country,” she said, also emphasizing the need for young Bahamians to know how important it is to be a responsible ambassador with a good attitude.
“We have to train our young children from very young to be able to talk to tourists and show them that Bahamians are very nice and enthusiastic people,” she said.
Fontella Knowles, Vice Principal of Preston H. Albury School and the speech coach of the new Junior Minister, was confident that Ms. Cooper would excel in her new role.
“It is not only an accomplishment for our school but also for our island, and I know she will make our country proud as an ambassador,” Ms. Knowles said.


Deputy Director General in the Ministry of Tourism Ellison Thompson congratulates Ms. Cooper immediately after she won the title of Jr. Minister of Tourism.

C.R. Walker Senior High School’s Larissa Smith secured second place in the speech competition and walked away with $300.00 cash prize, a computer, cellphone and a plaque. Dava Major of Grand Bahama’s Catholic High School rounded out the top three and also walked away with cash and assorted prizes.

Before the 2014 competition, all winners were residents of either New Providence of Grand Bahama.

 

MOT Press Release