St Mary High students elected junior mayor and deputy junior mayor of Port Maria

ST MARY, Jamaica — Two students from St Mary High School have been elected to lead the youth segment of the St Mary Municipal Corporation following a competition held on Tuesday under the theme, ‘Local Government: Your Voice, Your Community’. Xzavier King, representing the Port Maria Division, was elected junior mayor of Port Maria, while Chardonnay Shaw, representing the Highgate Division, secured the position of deputy junior mayor. The two emerged victorious from a group of 13 junior councillors representing divisions across the parish, each presenting ideas and proposals aimed at addressing issues affecting young people and their communities. Throughout the competition, participants highlighted the importance of youth involvement in local governance, with particular emphasis on strengthening communication between young people and the stakeholders responsible for community development. King and Shaw impressed the judges with their confidence, leadership potential and vision for empowering young people across St Mary. For King, a social sciences student with aspirations of pursuing a career in the field, the victory came as a surprise. “It is an honour as I actually did not know I would have become the Junior Mayor,” he told Observer Online. King said his immediate priority will be working alongside his fellow junior councillors to ensure that the concerns of young people are heard and addressed. “I will be working alongside my other junior councillors to listen to young people to hear what is happening in their community and how best we can bridge the gap between the necessary stakeholders and the youths,” he added. The initiative provided an opportunity for the 13 participants to demonstrate their leadership abilities while encouraging greater youth participation in local government and community decision-making.