Jonathan Grant High Student Wins 2026 Youth In Agriculture Breakfast Meal Title

Seventeen-year-old Jonathan Grant High School student Chanel Heath is the 2026 National Youth in Agriculture Competition champion in the Breakfast Meal Drink category.

She earned the title following her success during the 72nd staging of the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show in May Pen, Clarendon, in August.

In the Breakfast Meal Drink category, participants were required to create either a smoothie, high-protein drink, or milkshake.

They were also required to submit samples on the day of the competition, along with a short video presentation.

Chanel created a high-protein drink dubbed ‘Chan’s Breakfast Punch’, using ingredients such as jackfruit seed, pumpkin, sweet potato, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, black seeds, sesame seeds, milk, and molasses.

She says she practised preparing the drink ahead of the competition to ensure she was well prepared for the event. Chanel was awarded a $10,000 cash prize for her winning entry.

The student believes the drink’s taste and texture, coupled with her ability to explain the beverage and its preparation, contributed to her success.

“It feels great because I thought that I could not win. I was stressed. But when the competition started, I was focused and it feels amazing to know that there were different age groups and I was the one who won the competition,” she tells JIS News.

Chanel, who joined Jonathan Grant High School in 2025 and is a member of the institution’s Food and Nutrition Club as well as the Jamaica 4-H Clubs, says she enjoyed the competition, which marked her first time competing and her first visit to Denbigh.

She notes that she was initially interested in cosmetology, but later began seeing the culinary arts as a possible career path.

The aspiring chef says she was encouraged to enter the youth in agriculture competition by her Food and Nutrition teacher, Shernette Heathe, and credits her classes with helping to shape her career goal.

“When I joined Ms. Heathe’s class, she took me under her wing. She always told me that I was going to be great in life, and I took every piece of advice she gave me,” Chanel shares, noting that the experience has boosted her confidence.

“No matter how young you are, never doubt yourself, because you never know what you could achieve… because I think I was the youngest one there. That showed me that I could accomplish a lot if I believe and have faith in myself,” she adds.

The National Youth in Agriculture Competition is facilitated by the Jamaica 4-H Clubs and features categories such as Agri-Business Plan, Mystery Basket, and Mobile App.

The competition supports National Outcomes 1 and 3 under Vision 2030 Jamaica, namely ‘A Healthy and Stable Population’ and ‘World-Class Education and Training’, respectively.

It also aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), and Goal 4 (Quality Education).