Katie Scoops Gold Award

Drasa Avenue Primary School, Lautoka, Year 8 Stu­dent Katie Pattie Recently Received A Gold Award Certificate For An Essay She Wrote And Submit­ted For The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition.

According To The Royal Common­wealth Society Website, The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition Is The World’s Oldest International Writing Competition For Schools, Es­tablished In The Year 1883.

Katie And Two Students Gained Recognition For Participating In The Same Competition. The Other Two Are Students Of Natabua High School. Year 13 Student Justin Ku­mar Who Received A Gold Certificate Award And Year 12 Student Inayah Ali Who Won A Bronze Certificate Award.

Katie, 14, Submitted A 749-Worded Essay Based On A Fictional Diary Of A Frontliner Nurse In The Year 2050.

The Essay Was Inclusive Of A Draw­ing Showing A Frontliner Nurse In Protective Wear, Which Was A Col­lective Effort Between Her And Her Two Elder Sisters.

“I Wrote A Fictional Diary Of A Nurse During The Pandemic So I Wrote About The Hardship She Went Through, The Sacrifices She Made Because I Feel Like They Are The Un­spoken Heroes In This Pandemic,” She Said.

“I Think My Grandmother Played A Really Major Part In My Education; She Was Always There Pushing Me And My Sisters To Do Our Homework, So I Think She Brought Me To Where I Am Now With My Education. She Passed Away In 2019 And I’d Really Like To Thank My Teacher As Well.”

Katie Was Inspired To Choose This Topic For Her Essay After Seeing Nu­merous News Stories And Articles About The Struggles Frontliners Went Through During The Pandemic.

“It Probably Took Three Weeks, My Sisters Helped Me A Lot And My Teacher Really Helped Me Too. He Encouraged Me To Write It. I Just Read Online Articles About Nurses And Doctors Telling Their Stories In Newspapers,” She Said.

Despite Facing A Bit Of Writer’s Block In The Initial Stages She Urged Other Students At The Primary School Level To Also Participate In The Competition Next Year.

“I Was Not Expecting A Gold Cer­tificate Because There Are Many Talented Kids Around The World So I Was Very Proud And Excited When I Got It. I Had To Read The Essay Again, Look At The Construction And Flow Of The Essay And My Sisters Helped,” She Said.

Proud Mother Monica Pattie Said She Would Ensure Her Daughter En­tered More Competitions To Hone Her Writing Skills.

“There’s Another One For FICAC About Honesty, And You Win An Ipad, I Said That’s Going To Be Helpful So I’m Telling Her To Do That One, So That’s Probably The Next One We’re Thinking Of Doing, For Her Age She Has To Do A Poster,” She Said.