Madame President,
I am honoured to announce and celebrate this year’s recipients of the Ministry of Education’s scholarships and awards.
Today’s statement is more than a report; it is a celebration of merit, an affirmation of equitable access, and a commitment to ensuring that these opportunities continue to reflect the best of who we are and who we aspire to become. The Ministry of Education upholds its mandate to support post-secondary and graduate education for Bermudian students. Therefore, we are committed to improving access to higher education for Bermuda’s aspiring students through scholarships and awards opportunities.
Madame President,
One of the goals of the platform commitments for 2025 is to expand access to funding for Bermudians to obtain tertiary education. I am proud to confirm that the budget for this year’s Scholarships and Awards is 1.77 million dollars.
The Ministry believes that all students should have access to post-secondary education and we are pleased to provide scholarships and awards for the benefit of students and the Bermudian community.
Madame President,
Each year, through our scholarship and award programmes, we recognize and uplift those individuals who have demonstrated promise, resilience, and excellence. These recipients are not only students and scholars; they are future leaders, innovators, educators, and contributors to our island's growth and prosperity.
This year’s awardees have shown perseverance and determination to reach their passions and cultivate their talents. They also have hearts of service and intend on contributing to the Bermuda upon completion of their degrees.
Madame President,
I am proud to announce that the Ministry will help more than 60 individuals to attend college and university through the various scholarships and awards that we offer. This year, the Ministry of Education is providing 10 different scholarships and award categories.
Madame President,
In addition to the College Promise Programme, which provides tuition for graduates of CedarBridge Academy and The Berkeley Institute to attend Bermuda College, tuition-free, for two years, the Ministry grants the following scholarships and awards annually:
- The Minister’s Achievement Scholarship to help high achieving graduating students of CedarBridge Academy and The Berkeley Institute attend overseas post-secondary education;
- The Minister’s Exceptional Student Award for graduating students or school leavers with disabilities for local or overseas study;
- The Minister’s Technical and Vocational Award for graduating public school students or recent public school alumni attending Bermuda College for both local or overseas post-secondary study;
- The Further Education Award for current college or university students with sophomore standing for continued post-secondary study;
- The Non-Traditional Student Award for persons aged 25 and over pursuing post-secondary study;
- The Teacher Education Scholarship for current college or university students with sophomore standing for study of selected subjects and/or areas of teaching need in the Bermuda Public School System;
- The Bermuda Government Scholarship for well-rounded senior school or college or university students up to the age of 25 who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement;
- The University of West Indies Scholarship for undergraduate or graduate students accepted into the University of West Indies at any of their campuses;
- The Bermuda College Book Award provides funding for books for Bermuda College students in financial need. This award is determined by the Bermuda College closer to the start of the academic year and,
- The Minister’s Applied Science Scholarship is for graduating public senior school students who attended the Applied Technology Dual Enrolment Diploma Programme with Bermuda College and who plan to continue the programme to obtain an Associate’s Degree or certificate. I’m sad report that, unfortunately no applications were received this year.
Madame President,
A total of 524 applications were submitted for consideration. A total of 71 students ranging from recent senior school graduates to mature students pursuing non-traditional pathways are among our worthy recipients. I would like to highlight many of those students in a number of categories, beginning with the Minister’s Scholarships.
The Minister’s Scholarships and Awards are valued at $7,500 for local studies and up to $25,000 for overseas studies. They are tenable for the duration of the student’s full-time post-secondary programme of study, for up to four years.
The recipients are:
For the Minister’s Achievement Scholarship:
- Shia Bean, a 2025 graduate of Cedarbridge Academy. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and Communications at Dalhousie University; and
- Camya Matthew, a 2025 graduate of The Berkeley Institute. She is pursuing a Bachelors in Business Administration at Howard University.
For the Minister’s Exceptional Student Award valued at $7,500 for local studies and up to $25,000 for overseas studies:
- Tel-Ricka Butterfield, a graduate of Bermuda College. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Study at Mount Saint Vincent University
-
Malachi Santucci-Smith, a graduate of the Care Learning Centre. He is pursuing an Associate of Arts at the Bermuda College.
For the Technical and Vocational Award valued at $7,500 for local studies and up to $25,000 for overseas studies:
- Milahn Powell, a graduate of Bermuda College and currently pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Nursing at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
- Ny’Asia White, a graduate of The Berkeley Institute, to pursue a Bachelors of Nursing at the University of South Carolina.
- Maya Dean, a graduate of The Berkeley Institute. She is pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration and Management at North Carolina A&T University.
Other recipients that I am proud to announce to the Senate are:
For the Non-Traditional Student Award ($20,000 per year for overseas study up to 4 years):
- Jalair Trott-Richardson, a graduate of the Berkeley Institute. He is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics at the University of Sussex; and,
- Adonijah Washington, a graduate of Bermuda College He is pursuing a Bachelors in Sports Rehabilitation at Health Sciences University.
The recipients of the Teacher Education Scholarships ($20,000 per year for overseas study up to 4 years) are:
- Moriah Bridgewater, a graduate of Bermuda College. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education at Howard University; and,
- Stephan Dill, a graduate of The Berkeley Institute. He is pursuing a Masters of Teaching at Winston Salem State University.
These Teacher Education Scholarships are given to candidates pursuing initial teacher training who, as a condition of their scholarships, will be employed in public schools to educate and support public school students in subject and teaching areas of great need to the public education system.
Madame President,
The Ministry awarded a total of 42 Further Education Awards for undergraduate studies, 10 awards for students pursuing graduate studies and 5 students pursuing Doctoral degrees. These awards will provide funding for 1 year of study at a value of up to $10,000.
While Further Education Awards and other scholarships and awards are primarily given to students pursuing undergraduate study to assist persons in getting a first college or university degree, the Ministry is continuing to do what it can to support students undertaking graduate studies.
Some of the areas of study for undergraduate recipients are health science, education, psychology, performing arts, business and engineering, while some of the areas of study for post graduate recipients include legal studies, public health, medicine, teacher training and psychology.
Time does not permit me to name each recipient, but they, too, are saluted for their perseverance towards the completion of their undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Madame President,
The University of West Indies Scholarship provides an opportunity for students seeking tertiary education at the UWI or another school in the Caribbean region in the amount of $7,500 per year for up to 3 years for study.
This year’s recipient Ms. Keiazia Burchall-Busby is studying medicine at St. Georges University in Grenada. Madame President,
Bermuda Government Scholarships are awarded annually to the most deserving candidates recommended by the Board of Education. Each Bermuda Government Scholarship recipient receives funding towards the cost of tuition and accommodation up to $35,000 per year for up to four years.
I am pleased to share with this House that this year’s recipients of the Bermuda Government Scholarship are:
- Alay Burgess-Rocker, a graduate of Berkeley Institute, to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Actuarial Science at St. John’s University; and,
- Nevaeh Barclay, another Berkeley Institute graduate, to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting at North Carolina A&T State University.
The recommendation to award both Ms. Alay Burgess Rocker and Ms. Nevaeh Barclay the Bermuda Government Scholarship is truly historic as both young women are S3 students graduating early. This rare achievement highlights not only their individual excellence but also their shared determination, vision, and sense of purpose. These two young women represent the future of Bermuda: bright, ambitious, grounded in service, and prepared to make a difference.
Madame President,
I would like to thank the senior school staff, mentors, parents, guardians and loved ones of our students for supporting them throughout this scholarship process. Their unwavering support and guidance have been instrumental in the success of our students. As this process requires a great investment of time, I thank and commend the Chairperson and members of the Scholarship and Awards Committee for who spend countless hours pouring over applications to make difficult decisions deciding which of the many deserving students will be successful, the Scholarships and Awards Programme Manager, Ms. Shanyae Smith, for so ably receiving, sorting and vetting the applications and also the rest of the Ministry of Education Headquarters team for their dedication and continued support with this important work. Their ongoing efforts and integrity are vital to the success and fairness of the Ministry of Education’s scholarship process.
Lastly, I express deep appreciation to other public, private and charitable scholarship providers who continue to demonstrate their commitment to investing in the future of our Island through generous funding for higher education for our aspiring students. The choice to give consistently and as much as possible helps more and more students to meet their potential.
Everyone’s collective contributions has made this celebration of academic excellence possible, and for that, I am truly grateful.
Madame President,
Once again, I congratulate this year’s scholarships and awards recipients. I wish them much success in their educational journeys.