Meet the Finalists

Sherisse Bideshi is a student at The UWI, St Augustine Campus. Her talent is the Aerial Hoop, commonly known as Lyra, which she has been doing for five years. It gives her a distinctive and captivating method to express herself through movement while defying gravity and also combines strength, flexibility, and grace. She enjoys performing and demonstrating her aerial skills and believes that entering this competition will allow her to express herself creatively while also stepping outside of her comfort zone. Her most memorable UWI experience was attending her first class at the postgraduate level where she felt a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment at being able to study at this level, and realized that she had just crossed another milestone in her life.

Reniece Bonnett is a student of the Faculty of Social Sciences, The UWI, Cave Hill Campus with a vested interest in the environment. She has been singing at several karaokes across Barbados for a number of years but only began carefully honing her talent in December 2021 and has since been working at polishing her vocal ability. She hopes that participation in this talent showcase would be a fun and memorable part of her UWI experience. Her most memorable experience at UWI has been her role in student governance within the Department of Government, Sociology and Social Work as she currently serves on the Political Science Student Association’s board as the Treasurer. She also credits The UWI with providing her friendships across several Caribbean countries and loves that she is able to travel to said countries to meet her friends during vacation breaks.

Blestina Charles is a young, vibrant, gospel singer/songwriter and mental health advocate from the beautiful island of St. Kitts and Nevis. She is a graduate of the Faculty of Social Sciences, The UWI, Cave Hill Campus. From the tender age of 9, Blestina has had a deep passion for singing and her singing exploits have evolved from childhood to adulthood. She entered the voice category of the We Rise competition as she is a budding gospel artist and thought that the competition would be an excellent opportunity to showcase her talent coupled with the fact that the theme “We Rise” resonate with her. Blestina's most memorable moment at The University of the West Indies was during her Introduction to Abnormal Psychology class, where she met a classmate who became one of her closest friends.

Shernell Clarke is a student in the Faculty of Humanities and Education, The UWI, Cave Hill Campus pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Cultural Studies. Shernell has been singing since the age of 13; has been a member of a gospel band for nearly 30 years and also a worship leader at the Fustic Wesleyan Church. She entered the We Rise Talent Showcase in the category of singing for the experience.

Athalia Crump is a graduate from the Faculty of Social Sciences, The UWI Five Islands Campus with a Bachelors in Banking and Finance. Athalia goes by the sobriquet "Zeeva Yohan", a name under which she has enjoyed writing and sharing her songs for about 3 years. She entered the "We Rise Talent Showcase" with her acoustic guitar in the Voice category with the hope of sharing her music with a wider audieance. Her most memorable UWI experience is taking final exams during the Covid-19 pandemic, an experience which she remembers as having increased her resilience to unforeseen circumstances.

Suzette Edwards is a student in the Faculty of Humanities in Education, The UWI, St. Augustine Campus. She uses theatre arts as drama therapy to rehabilitate and reform the minds of young people. Suzette has been involved in the creative, cultural and performing arts for approximately 36 years as a performer,tutor, writer, director, producer and dance choreographer. She is currently the founder and artistic director of Maloney Young Leaders, a youth group that promotes young talent in the community of Maloney Gardens. Her talent piece in this competition is in the category of performance art. Suzette entered the competition to showcase her creative and performing talent, be a part of The UWI's 75th anniversary celebration and for the opportunity to win the grand prize. Her most memorable UWI experience was her participation in the 2019 Festival of Movements along with other theatre arts students.

Lee-San Gayle is an award-winning filmmaker and singer, who recently achieved a First-Class Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Film Production at the Caribbean School of Media and Communication at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. She has created eight award-winning short films including her thesis film, the first internationally recognized Jamaican musical film titled “Crazy Dreams"". From the age of 6, Lee-San has sung in many choirs and theatre company productions. She entered the We Rise Talent Showcase to grow as a singer in both experience and exposure. Securing the top prize in this competition will also help her achieve her goal of acquiring the funds needed to attend an expensive master's degree programme at a top film school abroad. Her most memorable UWI experience is of her and her best friends walking around campus taking photos together after graduating.

Terisha Gilbert has a passion for singing and has been singing in church since she was 8 years old. She entered this competition as a way of stepping out of her comfort zone and taking full advantage of opportunities where she could share the talent that God has blessed her with. Terisha is a Faculty of Social Sciences student at The UWI Cave Hill Campus.

Orane Green is a multifaceted talent who has seamlessly merged his passion for Biomedical Instrumentation/Applied Physics with a remarkable gift for singing. Currently pursuing his studies at the The UWI, Mona Campus in the Faculty of Science and Technology, specifically within The Department of Physics, Orane embodies the perfect blend of scientific curiosity and artistic prowess. His journey into the world of music began in 2014 when he first showcased his vocal talents as the loudest singer on The Manning's School Chorale, and by 2019, Orane was already making waves as a soloist on the Mona Campus. Throughout his academic and artistic pursuits, he has been fortunate to have the unwavering support of his ""Physics Family,"" who inspired him to be a role model for excellence in both realms, debunking the myth that one must sacrifice artistry for academia. While Orane has achieved numerous milestones in his academic career, one unforgettable moment at UWI was his participation in Digicel Rising Stars, where he experienced the joy of his Faculty and Department rallying behind him. Orane is a testament to the harmonious coexistence of science and artistry in one's life.