Arts, Culture and Heritage award

Grace Byers

Captivating audiences as an actress while inspiring millions through her bestselling books and advocacy.

Highlights

• International actress with starring roles in television and film.
• #1 New York Times bestselling children’s author whose books have inspired families around the world.
• Proudly representing the Cayman Islands while promoting confidence, inclusion and self-worth.

Grace Byers is a Caymanian actress, bestselling author and advocate whose work has inspired audiences around the world.

Raised in the Cayman Islands by her deaf parents, Grace’s childhood shaped her passion for inclusion, confidence and self-worth. After earning degrees in theatre and acting in the United States, she rose to international fame through her role as Anika Calhoun in the hit television series Empire. Since then, she has appeared in several television shows and films while proudly sharing her Caymanian roots with audiences around the world.

Grace is also the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling children’s book I Am Enough, which has sold more than one million copies worldwide. Inspired by her own experiences, her books encourage children to embrace who they are and believe in their own potential.

Whether through acting, writing or advocacy, Grace continues to use her platform to inspire others, promote inclusion and shine a positive light on the Cayman Islands.

Ministry of Education & Training

Education award

Tiffany Jeremiah

Helping students discover a love of learning through encouragement, leadership and academic excellence.

Highlights

• Dedicated educator with advanced qualifications in teaching and learning.
• Helping students achieve success in mathematics through strong teaching and encouragement.
• Proudly representing the Cayman Islands while inspiring students in classrooms at home and abroad.

Tiffany Jeremiah is a Caymanian educator dedicated to helping young people discover a love of learning.

After earning both a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master of Education in Teaching and Learning from Maranatha Baptist University, Tiffany returned to the Cayman Islands to teach for four years before continuing her teaching career in the United States.

During her time in Cayman, Tiffany also served as Acting Principal at Calvary Baptist Christian Academy, providing leadership during a challenging period for the school. She is passionate about helping students reach their potential and has guided her mathematics students to strong performances in external competitions, with several earning distinguished awards and top placements over the past three years.

Now teaching at Bay City Christian School in Wisconsin, Tiffany continues to inspire students through her commitment to academic excellence, personal growth and service while proudly representing the Cayman Islands abroad.

Ministry of Health, Environment & Sustainability

Environment & Sustainability award

Connor Childs

Protecting our oceans and championing a more sustainable future for island communities.

Highlights

• Representing the Cayman Islands at international climate and ocean conservation conferences.
• Combining research, advocacy and hands-on conservation to protect marine ecosystems around the world.
• Championing environmental protection in Cayman while inspiring young people to care for the islands’ natural heritage.

Connor Childs is a young Caymanian environmental leader who is making an impact both at home and around the world.

Currently pursuing a master’s degree in Geography and the Environment at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Connor is dedicated to finding practical solutions to the environmental challenges facing island communities. His research, advocacy and volunteer work all share one goal: protecting our oceans and natural environment for future generations.

Connor has represented the Cayman Islands at major international events, including COP climate conferences, the UN Ocean Conference and other global forums, where he has spoken on behalf of small island nations about climate action, ocean conservation and sustainable development. He has also contributed to marine research through NOAA and Sea Grant, served as a Global Youth Ambassador for Blue Planet Alliance and volunteered with Sea Shepherd in the Mediterranean, helping remove ghost nets and protect marine life.

Closer to home, Connor has been an active voice for environmental protection in Cayman. He has worked with organisations including Sustainable Cayman, Protect Our Future and the National Trust, and even completed a five-mile open-water swim that raised more than $13,000 to help protect Cayman’s natural habitats.

Maples Group

Financial, Legal & Professional Services award

Shivonne Mitchell

Creating stronger workplaces by leading people, improving systems and building positive workplace cultures.

Highlights

• Building a successful career in legal operations with leading international law firms.
• Leading teams while helping create more inclusive, collaborative and high-performing workplaces.
• Proudly representing the Cayman Islands through leadership, professionalism and a people-first approach.

Shivonne Mitchell is a Caymanian leader helping shape the culture and operations of some of the United Kingdom’s leading international law firms.

Over the past eight years, she has built a successful career in legal operations and executive support, working with firms including Linklaters LLP and Mishcon de Reya LLP. In her current role, she leads a team of professionals who provide high-level support to senior leaders, while helping improve the systems and processes that keep a large, fast-paced organisation running smoothly.

Known for her collaborative leadership style, Shivonne is passionate about creating workplaces where people feel valued, supported and able to succeed. She has led operational improvements, supported international office launches and played an active role in initiatives that strengthen workplace culture, inclusion and employee engagement.

Through her leadership, professionalism and commitment to helping others thrive, Shivonne proudly represents the Cayman Islands while making a meaningful impact in the international legal sector.

Ministry of Health, Environment & Sustainability

Health & Wellness award

Dr Larissa Johnson

Helping transform the way trauma is understood, treated and supported through psychology and mental healthcare.

Highlights

• Helping people heal through specialist work in trauma psychology and forensic assessment.
• Improving access to mental healthcare through education, training and trauma-informed services.
• Continuing to support the Cayman Islands through her work with Aspire Therapeutic Services, the RCIPS, H.M. Cayman Islands Prison Service and the Alex Panton Foundation.

Dr. Larissa Johnson is a Caymanian forensic psychologist whose work is helping people, organisations and communities better understand and respond to trauma.

Based in the United Kingdom, she works with individuals experiencing complex trauma while also carrying out psychological assessments for criminal, family and civil courts. Her expertise helps inform important decisions in cases where mental health plays a significant role.

Beyond her clinical work, Larissa is committed to improving access to mental healthcare. She is the founder of inMind Psychological Services, where she is developing more accessible, trauma-informed services and reducing barriers to care through flexible payment options and digital resources. She also delivers training for healthcare professionals and organisations, helping them better understand trauma, burnout and mental wellbeing.

Despite living overseas, Larissa remains closely connected to the Cayman Islands through her work with Aspire Therapeutic Services, the RCIPS, H.M. Cayman Islands Prison Service and the Alex Panton Foundation. Through every aspect of her career, she is working to improve how trauma is understood, treated and supported – both for individuals and across the systems that serve them.

Inclusion award

Amy Watson-Rankin

Helping women rediscover their confidence, worth and potential through leadership and mentorship.

Highlights

• Senior leader at BNP Paribas who champions women in leadership.
• Has personally encouraged hundreds of women through mentoring and support at the Joy of Living Rehabilitation Center.
• Uses her personal experiences to help others overcome barriers, build confidence and recognise their own potential.

Amy Watson-Rankin is a Caymanian leader who believes that true inclusion starts with helping people see their own value.

She has built a successful career with BNP Paribas, where she serves as Head of Investor Services (Americas). Over the years, she has become a respected leader in the financial services industry while also championing opportunities for women in leadership through the company’s Women Leadership Group.

But Amy’s impact extends well beyond the workplace.

Inspired by her family’s personal experience with domestic abuse and addiction, Amy has dedicated herself to encouraging women who are rebuilding their lives. For the past 21 months, she has volunteered twice each month at the Joy of Living Rehabilitation Center, offering mentorship, sharing her own experiences and writing personal messages of encouragement to women on their journey to recovery.

Through this work, Amy has encouraged and supported hundreds of women, helping them rebuild confidence, restore their sense of worth and believe in new possibilities for their future.

Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture & Heritage

Sports AWARD

Gunnar Studenhofft

Taking Caymanian football to the professional stage while inspiring the next generation of athletes.

Highlights

• One of few Caymanian footballers to build a professional career overseas.
• Professional player with Phoenix Rising FC and a long-standing member of the Cayman Islands national team.
• Inspiring the next generation of Caymanian footballers by proving that dreams can become reality through hard work and determination.
• Gunnar Studenhofft is helping put Cayman football on the international map.

After developing his game in the Cayman Islands, Gunnar moved to the United States to pursue both his education and his dream of playing football at the highest level. His talent and determination quickly paid off, helping his school win its first-ever championship before earning All-Region honours at Eastern Florida State College.

Today, Gunnar plays professionally for Phoenix Rising FC in Arizona while continuing to proudly represent the Cayman Islands national football team. His journey has taken him from local football pitches to the professional game, making him one of a small number of Caymanian footballers to establish a professional career overseas..

Through his success, Gunnar is showing young Caymanian athletes that with hard work, commitment and belief in themselves, they too can compete on the world stage.

CUC

stem award

Lyea Rivers

Exploring the connection between people, animals and the environment to build healthier communities.

Highlights

• Exploring how the health of people, animals and the environment work together to build healthier communities.
• Combining research, public health and science communication to make STEM more accessible and meaningful.
• Inspiring future Caymanian scientists while preparing for a career in public health and disease prevention.

Lyea Rivers is a Caymanian environmental scientist whose work focuses on the connection between people, animals and the environment.

Currently completing a degree in Earth and Environmental Science at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom, Lyea is passionate about understanding how environmental conditions affect public health. Through research, internships and community outreach, she is building the knowledge and skills to help prevent disease and improve the health of both people and the natural world.

Alongside her studies, Lyea has gained hands-on experience with organisations including the National Drug Council and the Cayman Turtle Centre, while also leading science communication projects at university and contributing to international research on public health and environmental sustainability. She has also received several awards recognising her leadership and academic achievement.

Committed to inspiring the next generation, Lyea is writing a STEM book and educational game to help young people better understand how science, health and the environment are connected. She plans to continue her studies in public health with a focus on epidemiology.

Ministry of Tourism & Trade Development

Tourism Travel & Hospitality Award

Enzaghi Bush

Taking Caymanian excellence to the skies through an international career in commercial aviation.

Highlights

• Built an international aviation career after leaving Cayman at just 18 years old to pursue his dream.
• First Officer with Ryanair, flying passengers across the United Kingdom and Europe.
  Inspiring young Caymanians to dream big and pursue opportunities beyond our shores through hard work and determination.
• Enzaghi Bush is a young Caymanian who turned his dream of becoming a commercial pilot into an international career.

After graduating from Triple C School, he left the Cayman Islands at just 18 years old to pursue flight training in Florida before continuing his journey to Ireland, where he completed the demanding qualifications required to fly commercially in Europe.

Today, at just 25 years old, Enzaghi is a First Officer with Ryanair, one of Europe’s largest airlines. Flying the Boeing 737, he helps transport thousands of passengers safely across the United Kingdom and Europe while working in one of the world’s most demanding aviation environments. He is also on track to become a Captain, a milestone that reflects the dedication, discipline and professionalism he has shown throughout his career.

By pursuing his ambitions overseas and succeeding in the highly competitive aviation industry, Enzaghi is proudly demonstrating what young Caymanians can achieve on the world stage.

Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture & Heritage

People’s Choice Award

Karthik Adapa

Making history for Cayman gymnastics while opening doors for the athletes who follow.

Highlights

• Won six gold medals at the 2025 NatWest International Island Games, helping secure Cayman’s first-ever gymnastics gold medal.
• Inspiring the next generation through his leadership and support of young gymnasts.
• Proudly representing the Cayman Islands at major international gymnastics competitions around the world.

Karthik Adapa is a Caymanian gymnast whose achievements are helping raise the profile of gymnastics both at home and internationally.

Over the past several years, he has proudly represented the Cayman Islands at major competitions, including the Commonwealth Games, World Championships, Pan American Championships and the Island Games. In 2025, he made history at the NatWest International Island Games, winning six gold, two silver and three bronze medals, including the All-Around title, and helping secure the Cayman Islands’ first-ever gymnastics gold medal.

Karthik’s impact extends beyond competition. His dedication to the sport played an important role in the creation of Apex Gymnastics, giving him the opportunity to continue training in Cayman while also helping create new opportunities for future generations of young gymnasts. He continues to encourage and mentor younger athletes, leading by example through his hard work, discipline and commitment to excellence.

Through his achievements and leadership, Karthik is inspiring more young Caymanians to believe they can compete – and succeed – on the international stage.