Young Historian Jean-Marc Augusty receives President of Parliament Outstanding Youth Award

GREAT BAY--Young historian and researcher Jean-Marc Augusty was presented with the prestigious President of Parliament Outstanding Youth Award at the reception following the opening of the new Parliamentary Year on Tuesday. The award was handed over by Chairlady of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams and recognizes the contributions of young people who positively impact the community through leadership, innovation, and service.

The award, now in its 13th year, has become one of Parliament’s signature recognitions, shining a light on youth who embody excellence and commitment to St. Maarten. This year’s recipient, Jean-Marc Augusty, was honored for his outstanding work in the field of history and research, and for his efforts to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of the island.

Standing before dignitaries including His Excellency the Governor, Members of Parliament, ministers, and guests, Augusty delivered a moving address that underscored the importance of history in defining St. Maarten’s identity and future.

“It is with deep gratitude and humility that I stand before you today to accept the President of Parliament Award,” Augusty began. “This honor is not only a recognition of my work, but also a recognition of the story of St. Maarten itself, a story that is too often untold, overlooked, or misunderstood.”

He described St. Maarten not only as a tourism destination, but as a place with a profound historical legacy. “St. Maarten is more than its beaches, more than its cruise ships, and certainly more than its duty-free shops. At its heart, St. Maarten is history. It is the memory of a people who endured, created, and thrived against unimaginable odds. It is the monuments that still stand, the Courthouse, our plantations, our churches, our forts, that silently bear witness to centuries of struggle and triumph. And it is our responsibility to make sure that these voices of stone and wood are not silenced.”

Augusty stressed that the island’s forefathers built with intention, guided by their understanding of hurricanes, salt ponds, winds, and the sea. These were not accidental decisions but hard-earned lessons in resilience. Ignoring them, he cautioned, risks both heritage and the island’s future.

He also pointed to the urgent need for tourism development to align with culture. “Visitors step off the ships, not searching for another luxury store, but searching for us, for who we are, for what makes this island unlike any other. They want to experience our culture, our history, our traditions. But too often, they leave without truly meeting the real St. Maarten. If we continue down this path, we risk losing not just their interest, but also our identity.”

Augusty identified misinformation as another threat. “Stories of our past are being twisted, erased, or replaced. Too many times I have seen myths replace facts, and legends become the only history our children hear. If we do not tell our story, others will tell it for us. And when they do, it will not reflect the truth of who we are.”

Turning his attention to the youth, he observed a troubling disconnection. “Too many of our young people grow up feeling disconnected from their island. They are taught to believe that opportunity lies only abroad, that fulfillment exists only in the life they see on television. When history is not taught, when monuments are left to decay, when culture is dismissed as unimportant, why would they feel pride? Why would they stay?”

To counter this, he called for history and preservation to be seen as active tools of nation-building rather than relics of the past. “Every monument restored, every archive protected, every story documented is an investment in the soul of St. Maarten. This is not nostalgia, it is nation building.”

Augusty dedicated the award to the mission of preservation, citing landmarks as symbols of the island’s endurance and identity: “I accept this award not for myself, but for the mission of preservation. I accept it for the Courthouse that still stands as a symbol of Philipsburg’s beginnings. For the plantations whose ruins whisper of the labor and resilience of our ancestors. For the forts that remind us of our island’s strategic role in the Caribbean. For the salt ponds that built our economy long before duty-free shopping existed. And most of all, I accept it for the youth of St. Maarten, because when they see themselves in their history, they will know they belong, and they will know their future can be built here, at home.”

He concluded with a message that was both a call to action and a reflection on national pride: “Our past is not a burden, it is a gift. And it is a gift we must preserve, protect, and pass on. Thank you, and may we all work together to ensure that the story of St. Maarten continues to be told, truthfully, proudly, and by us.”

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