Two Bermuda teenagers were yesterday presented with brand-new Mac Book laptop computers for winning an essay competition linked to The Ace Foundation Careers '09 fair.

Sudan Furbert (15), of Berekeley Institute, and Naasson Swan, of CedarBridge Academy, were judged to have written the best essays on the fair, which took place on October 22-23.

Ace Foundation chairman Ralph Richardson and Care Task Force education officer Dr. Andrea Lightbourne presented the computers, which were donated by the I-store, to the winners yesterday.

Here are their winning entries.

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By Naasson Swan

In truth I do not fully know what I want to do in life. At one time I wanted to be a lawyer but at another point in my life I wanted to be a graphic designer, and then there were many other areas I was interested in. One thing I am sure about is that the career fair really did open my eyes to something new and different. The fair made it easier for me to see the variety of careers that were out there and also show me all the different paths I could take to achieve them.

When I first got to the career fair I did not really know where to start. I felt like I was in a maze. I saw so many different jobs represented that I did not even realise were jobs.

Furthermore, the thought that I could possibly pursue a career in any of them in the near future was overwhelming.

Many of my friends visited and revisited a certain stall because it promised the chance of winning a cell phone. My experience was deeper than that. While I would have welcomed a new phone, the career fair planted seeds of hope.

When I went to all the different stalls, I saw how they tried to give you all the information you wanted, but there was also a little competition going on.

Each stall had little trinkets, gifts, prizes that screamed, "Come to our table; get a bunch of information!" However, you also received something just for stopping by for a chat. I was amazed at all the information that came my way but also happy for the things I received. It truly does draw you in, especially at a time where material things seem to be on the forefront of people's minds.

At one stall, I received information on the salaries that new staff receives. This really made me pay attention as it seemed like a lot of money for a young person.

As I was making my way through the maze of career booths, a gentleman approached me. He used a different method of attracting young persons. Instead of waiting for people to come to his booth he approached them.

I would have never thought about a career in the newspaper industry until this man approached me. He informed me that a person can get a job working in most countries as a writer - something I love to do.

Most countries also have newspapers or a printing industry. A person can also be creative by working on the graphics or layout area of the newspaper.

The career fair has really boosted me because it was packed with information and all the ways I could achieve those dreams and goals. The chance to hear about all these careers and hear how the job works and what you would need to do in order to get the job was very fulfilling!

I think that people should always go to career fairs because just like me, I didn't know what I wanted to be but with the help of the career fair I have more confidence in what I want to achieve and how I can do it.

Although I am unsure what path to take, I know that a career in the computer / technology area would be a very good choice for me. It is useful on a worldwide scale and no matter what industry a person decides to work in, there is always need for new computer programs and persons to fix them. That was the biggest lesson that I learned. The fair opened my eyes, and I can now look towards achieving that "dream job".

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By Sudan Furbert

As a 15-year-old growing up in a world lavish with fantasies displayed as obtainable luxuries, it's not always easy to recognise what is genuine and what is not. Hence, it is imperative that young people receive positive guidance and exposure.

As someone fortunate to have both I am dedicated to success, not only for myself but, for others as well. I am using this essay to express my concerns and solutions on high school drop outs and how the career fair can play an effective role in preventing the percentage from increasing.

Every year it appears that more and more young people drop out of school. The reasoning is not always the same but these are some suggestions I've heard. "That school is worthless", "I can't go to college so what's the sense" or "I've got grown people's business to take care of and school was getting in the way".

Each and every time I hear those comments I shamefully shake my head, for the simple reason that the person and I, both know that there are more opportunities out there waiting to be engaged.

My concerns are that young Bermudians have to compete for nothing because they are given everything, as a community we have become too materialistic, young Bermudians have not been taught the importance of education and because if these downfalls young Bermudians can't or won't work, which puts a strain on our economy to pay foreign workers who send their money to their countries.

I believe that students need to be exposed at a youthful age to the importance of an education and how it directly relates to career success. Children should be taken to the career fair before they get into their last year in primary school or the schools should be encouraged to host interactive days throughout the year to determine what children aspire to be.

Every child wants to be something while growing up, why not enhance their desire for their chosen career and guide them to success. Another solution would be to offer more hands on classes such as, home economics, design and technology and carpentry as extra-curricular activities or even co-curricular activities.

Overall, I think Bermuda's standards need to be increased. This includes academic, sports, and social standards. Perhaps this will remove the idea that mediocrity is acceptable. All children should know that nothing in unachievable and they should be allotted the opportunity to believe in their own success.

The career fair is very informative and exciting. It allows businesses to come together to display information while allowing students to receive first hand advice on what the working world will be like.

If students who are unsure about their future goals attend the career fair it is most likely that by the time they visit every career booth they will have found at least one career that they favour. After looking at all the benefits of the career the students can be motivated to work towards accomplishing the requirements they need to become what they want to be. For any student who is serious about their own success the career fair is a guaranteed advantage.

In closing, attending and participating in the career fair should be mandatory as interacting with mentors and future employers is the beginning of career success.