Cayman Parent's third annual story writing competition proved yet again that our islands are bursting with talented story writers. Hundreds of entries were received and it was clear that Cayman's youth were ready to make their voices heard! We wanted to know what our budding writers would do if they were in charge for a day. With wonderous tales of establishing Donut Beach Day, and banning vegetables, as well as ending poverty, stopping climate change and being kind, we're sure that Cayman's students are going to make a meaningful difference to our world.
Competition Writing Topic
2025 was an election year in the Cayman Islands, so all students aged 6-14 years old were invited to submit a response to 'If I were in Charge for a Day...'
Prizes
Children could enter their stories in one of three age categories, with the chance of winning some incredible prizes. A huge thank you to Ambassadors of the Environment, Camana Bay, the Parliament of the Cayman Islands, Cayman Crystal Caves, Cayman Parrot Sanctuary, Cayman Turtle Centre, Kirk Office, National Trust for the Cayman Islands, Next Chapter and Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park for sponsoring these wonderful prizes.
Judges
To ensure impartiality, three independent judges were selected, each a leader in their field. With so many original and inspiring submissions from children across all three islands to read, the judges had the difficult task of picking just three winners and three runners up. Read on to hear their reaction to the wonderful stories!
Congratulations and thank you to everyone who took part!
Lesley Maddock, Manager at Little Trotters School
"I loved reading these stories. The creativity, the compassion, and the respect for the environment shone through in each one. The fact that these young people will grow up to be leaders of our community gives me enormous hope for our future. We have to keep encouraging their passion!" Judge of the age 6-8 category.
Hailey Myles, Talent Development Administrator at Inspire Cayman Training
"Reading the entries from the 9–11 age group transported me back to my own perception of the world at that age. It was refreshing and entertaining to hear each child’s story and see how deeply they cared about topics like the environment, kindness, and equal access to resources. We have so much to gain from the younger generation, and I hope they never lose that positivity and creativity!" Judge of the age 9-11 category.
Govenor Jane Owen, Governor of the Cayman Islands
"A very impressive array of submissions from this age group. I thoroughly enjoyed the vision each writer brought to their role—whether as President, Governor, World Leader, or Kindness Ambassador—each one on a mission to make the world a better place. What stood out to me was the passion with which our young people advocated for the issues that matter most to them. Climate change, education, healthcare, inclusion, and empowerment emerged as the key themes. With young voices like these leading the way, I am confident that our future is in excellent hands." Judge of the age 12-14 category.
Stories from our Winners & Runners Up
After much agonising, the judges picked the following winners and runners up. You will also find the winners incredible stories printed in the current edition of Cayman Parent magazine.
Age 6-8 Category
Winner: Aryan Baxani, Age 7. St Ignatius Catholic School
If I was in Charge for a Day...
My name is Aryan Baxani. I go to St. Ignatius School. If I was in charge for a day, I would awaken empathy in every heart. I would focus on helping the homeless people. Everyone deserves a safe place to sleep and warm food to eat. I would work to create real change not just for a day but to start something that lasts forever. Even one day of kindness and action can be the beginning of a better world for everyone.
Runner Up: Dixie Lopez, Age 8. Village Montessori
If I was in Charge for a Day...
If I was in charge for a day I would wake up and eat unhealthy food like donuts for breakfast. The colours of the icing for my donuts would be turquoise like the ocean. Eating the ocean makes me want to swim in the sea. I would create a holiday called donut beach day. I would invite my friends to the beach. The only rule is to bring three donuts to the beach. Why would we bring three donuts to the beach you might ask? The first donut is for a friend. The second donut is for the giant donut pyramid. The third donut is the donation donut for people who do not have any donuts. Everyone would look forward to enjoying a day at the beach eating donuts. They could bring donut floaties to the beach to float and play in the water. We could play corn hole using donut holes. The little kids would like to play in a ball pit made of sprinkles. The big kids would want to play donut dodgeball. The adults have a donut eating contest, the winner gets free donuts for a year. I think I should be in charge for national donut day every year. Would you like to come to national donut day?
Age 9-11 Category
Winner: Brielle Riddick, Age 11. Island Primary
If I Ruled the World
Ruler of the World for a Day?! Probably the best job ever! If I were appointed as the leader of the world, I would promptly rise from my bed before schedule. Time would tick and the clock would reboot as a new day arrived and a new ruler. I would start my duties as Ruler of the World early, as I would be responsible for every living person, being and thing and have so much planned! My new duties and those of my trusted team (my bunny – Panda, baby brother – Carter and best friend – Summer) were laid out for the day.
I would have the hardest job of all. Initially, I would start off by declaring all wars to an end and government officials fired, assuring me as the head and leader of mankind forever! Children would only be authorized to go to school on the seven shortest days of the year, as information would be automatically updated to their brains each week. Although, not much different from now, football would be crowned the top sport on the planet and sushi announced food of the year! Running would be optional and only pursued by willing participants. The ability to drive would be allowed by the age of five, as kids would be so smart!
Carter, my Minister of Nutrition and Health, would ensure that people are fed. Vegetables would not exist, and healthy, bad-tasting food would be banned, while delicious junk food would make you skinny. Disease, sickness and death would be unheard of. Resources would be unlimited!
Summer, my Minister of Finance and Love, would tackle hardship, poverty and debt, which would never occur among humanity. Life would be perfect; people would be free; imagination would reign, leaving nightmares behind and only good times ahead. She would ensure that people loved one another, and no one was lonely!
Panda, my Minister of Science and Technology, would be a certified Rocket Scientist, with a GPA of 10.0! Panda would ensure time and space travel were accessible to the public and cost much less than a plane ticket. And if you desired to travel by plane, all seats would be first class and would cost less than $100!
As the day passed, time ticked on and the world became a better place for the entire population, I grew tired, However, my last order of business for the day would be a vacation, as Ruler of the World can be so exhausting!
Runner Up: King Bunting, Age 10. Prospect Primary School
If I were in Charge for a Day...
If I were in charge for a day, I would rule not just the Cayman Islands, but the entire world. I wouldn’t live in a big, fancy skyscraper. I would live in a super cool treehouse high up in a giant tree so I could see everything happening around the world. I would make the world a better, kinder place.
My team would be full of awesome people. Michelle Obama would be my Minister of Education because she cares a lot about kids and schools. Vinícius Júnior would help with sports and health because he’s super fast and never gives up. I’d also choose grandmas from all over the world to give me advice, because grandmas are really smart. And of course, I’d have kids on my team too—so we could make rules that help children everywhere.
The first thing I’d do is make “Kindness Hour” a law. Every day, people would have to do something kind—like help someone, clean up the park, or just be nice. I’d make sure all schools give free food and water, and also teach things like feelings, teamwork, and how to care about others.
I would make “Green Zones” in every town—big areas with trees, animals, and clean air. Nobody would be homeless because we’d turn empty buildings into cozy homes.
Some people might not want to change, but I’d have big “talk circles” where people could share ideas and learn to understand each other.
Even though I’d only be in charge for one day, I think I could start something amazing. People would feel happier, kids would feel safer, and the world would be just a little bit better—all because someone believed kindness was the most important rule of all.
Age 12-14 Category
Winner: Aryan Ramsammy, Age 13. Layman E. Scott Senior High School
Fixing Our Country
Dawn broke over the Cayman Islands as I received the ceremonial conch shell, symbolizing my day as Governor. From the Government House, I could see both sides of the island: Luxurious resorts shining in the tropical sun, while villages struggled with eroding shorelines and depleting reef systems.
"The coral is dying," explained my advisor, marine biologist Dr. Marissa, "with it goes our fish, coastal protection, and the heritage of these islands."
My hastily assembled cabinet represented the islands' diversity: Dr. Marissa; fisherman Isaiah Thompson whose family had worked these waters for generations; Alia Roberts, tourism director; Mrs. Patterson, a respected elder; and sixteen-year-old climate activist Dwayne Morris, whose work on reef restoration had been overlooked by the last governor.
"We have twenty-four hours," I announced. "Operation Blue Revival begins now."
By the afternoon, I signed an emergency order to redirect 5% of offshore banking fees to reef conservation. The financial district erupted in protest until Isaiah led executives on a glass-bottom boat showing our bleached, lifeless coral reefs.
"This is your real issues: Not more roundabouts," Isaiah told them as Dwayne showed footage of dead zones. "Without this ecosystem, there is no Cayman Islands."
At noon, Mrs. Patterson led us to mangrove nurseries where locals had been quietly growing coral fragments using traditional knowledge. I made a proclamation making their work the official Cayman Coral Guardians, with immediate funding and expanded facilities.
The biggest pushback came from foreign resort developers until I made it mandatory for them to be part of a charity where local children presented evidence of how restored reefs protected shorelines and their homes from increasingly violent storms.
As the fruitful day came to an end, drones recorded hundreds of volunteers entering designated restoration areas, setting up coral nursery structures created by Dwayne’s youth group. Alia introduced new "Restoration Tourism" packages where visitors could participate in conservation rather than just consumption.
"The banks store the world's wealth," I announced, "but our reefs store something more precious...our future."
Before midnight, I set up a company named Cayman Conservation Trust, funded by financial transactions to gather millions for environmental restoration.
As I returned the conch shell at dawn, something had shifted. The divide between those who profited from the islands and those who protected them had begun to heal, much like the small coral fragments that would, in time, rebuild a barrier stronger than any seawall of concrete.
Runner Up: Adam Goucke, Age 13. Cayman Prep & High School
If I were in Charge for a Day...
Consider the following for a moment: what would you do if you had all the decisions in your hands for a day? What would you do if, for 24 hours, for one day, you were in charge of everything that happens around you — big and small, personal and universal? The possibility is endless, and the gravity is overwhelming. Today, I will share with you what my concept would be of how I would behave if I were boss for a day.
First of all, being boss for a day, I would utter something close to my heart — kindness. It is so simple to allow oneself to be carried away by the current of life, to be mired in worry, and even to remember only occasionally the value of being kind to each other. So first, I would initiate a global "Kindness Campaign." From little things such as giving someone a compliment or shoveling a neighbor's driveway, to things that require empathy and compassion, we would spend the day reminding each other that kindness is not weakness, but strength.
And second, if I were president, I would tackle education. I believe that knowledge is power, but education is about more than books and tests. It is learning to think for yourself, be empathetic, and be flexible in a constantly changing world. For that one day, I’d ensure that schools and universities would offer classes not just on traditional subjects, but on mental health, communication, and real-world skills that will help students thrive in their personal and professional lives.
As president, I would address the question of climate change immediately. I would introduce policies that would safeguard our planet, such as reducing waste, investing in renewable energy, and encouraging greener living at every level of society. One day only, but with the aim of leaving a lasting legacy, involving each and every one in trying to save our planet.
And that's not all. If I were president, I'd also ensure that every person would have access to the basic necessities of life — housing, food, water, and medical care. There's simply no excuse in the world at this day and age for anyone to go hungry or not have decent medical care.
In short, although my time "in charge" is brief, kindness, education, sustainability, equality, and happiness are not fleeting values. If I were in charge for a day, I would do that in an effort to make the world a better place — one small step at a time.
