"SIGNS OF HOPE"                                                       Serving the North Bahamas Islands: Abaco, Grand Bahama, Bimini, and Berry Islands

Seventh-day Adventist Bahamian Student Wins Shanghai Music Festival

Twenty-three year old Keson B. Tinker, a third year student of Donghua University in Shanghai, China (and a member of the Centreville Seventh-day Adventist Church, Nassau, The Bahamas) was officially crowned first place champion of the 2007 Shanghai All State Music Festival. He represented the 30,000 students, faculty and staff of Donghua University and was the first foreigner to ever make it to the All State in the history of the competition. He performed a classical Chinese song by famous Hong Kong singer, Zhang Xueyou.

In the summer of 2006, Keson won first place at the first Annual Phoenix Chinese Song Competition held by the International Cultural Exchange School of Donghua University. In the winter of that same year, he represented the International Student body to compete in the 27th Annual “Top 10 Singers” Finals, competing against the top singers from all schools and departments in the Performing Arts Center at the Donghua campus in Sonjiang City, China. He performed the same piece by Zhang Xueyou and took home the first place prize once again.

As the university’s top singer, he represented the entire student body, faculty and staff at the Shanghai All State Music competition where he competed against the top singers from all the Universities in the city and won first place for his University. In late February 2007, he was chosen to represent Donghua at the 2007 International Students Home Coming Banquet, organized by the Shanghai Municipal Government, where he thrilled the audience with a stunning rendition of popular Chinese aria.

Keson Tinker, son of Karen and Kevin Tinker of Nassau, Bahamas, is currently pursuing his Bachelors degree in Asian Studies with a minor in Japanese and Korean Language and Culture. He is President of the Class of 2009 and Vice President of the newly formed International Student Association of Donghua University. He intends to go on to read for a Master’s Degree in Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs with concentration in Chinese Law, and hopefully continue to read for his Ph.D in Diplomacy with concentration in Public Relations.   Please continue to pray that God will continue to guide this promising young man.  Contact Keson at keson _tinker at hotmail dot com

Courtesy of Bahamas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists