A special alumni award to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Association of Bermuda International Companies education awards has been granted.

The news came as 20 new students were given a record-breaking $600,000 in scholarships at a lunchtime ceremony hosted by Abic’s education awards committee.

The first recipient of the anniversary award — paid for by former scholarship holders — was Dain Richardson, who plans to study accounting at the University of Denver in the US.

The mother-of-four said she hopes “to be a contributor to Bermuda’s international business and to the community by helping others reach their academic goals.”

Patrick Tannock, Abic chairman and former scholarship holder, said the anniversary award was designed “help mature individuals with a proven employment history and who are interested in upgrading their skill set so that they remain relevant in an ever-evolving, highly competitive global marketplace to pursue new educational and career goals.”

This year’s undergraduate awardees were James Amaral, Brian Darling, Zantae Dill, Abigail Exon, Kristin Gibbons, Sachio Harrison, Marcus Henschke, Antoine Jackson, Caleb Jones, Francis Laing, Niambi Landy-Philpott, Layona Millett, Christian Oatley, Jahlae Outerbridge, Isaiah Richardson, Brieanna Samuels, Amon Wedderburn, and Théo Wolffe.

The postgraduate award was presented to Chelsea Warren.

Among the candidates already been identified for an Abic scholarship, three were also given additional grants from the annual memorial awards.

TThe $5000 Michelle Outerbridge Memorial Award, which was established in 2002 and is sponsored by Abic member companies, went to Sachio Harrison.

Mr Harrison, who completed the Bermuda High School international baccalaureate programme in May, plans to study maths and economics at the University of Western Ontario and aims to become an actuary.

The award is named in honour of Michelle Outerbridge, whose “enthusiasm for life, academic ability and all round vitality” earned her an ABIC Scholarship in 2000.

The Stephen Edwards Memorial Award, sponsored by Lombard Odier Trust (Bermuda) Ltd, was given to Zantae Dill, a former Saltus Grammar pupil who has completed her first year studying law and psychology at the University of the West of England.

The award was created in memory of Stephen Edwards, “a passionate young man, gifted athlete, and outstanding role model” who received an ABIC scholarship in 2014.

The $5000 award, established in 2015, is given to an ABIC education award winner who displays the attributes he was known for — “talent, passion, and drive in the areas of academics, athletics and community service.”

The $15,000 Shernelle Outerbridge Memorial Award went to Theo Wolffe, who has just finished his international baccalaureate studies at Warwick Academy.

He also achieved ten IGCSE’s throughout his time at the school, and was on the principal’s list for four consecutive years.

Mr Wolffe will attend Queen’s University in Canada “to attain a Bachelor of Commerce degree with the intention of returning to Bermuda to contribute to its corporate and social fabric.”

Shernelle Outerbridge used her 1984 ABIC award to achieve a BA in Public Policy and Administration from York University, Canada and later contributed much to business in Bermuda.

As a tribute to the “character and achievements” of its late CEO, Zurich Investment Services Limited created the award in 2012, which every year gives an additional $15,000 grant to an undergraduate student studying business and finance.

In order to qualify for an ABIC scholarship, students must submit an application online through wwww.bermudascholarships.com by the second week of April each year. Interviews are held May with the shortlisted candidates chosen on “completeness of the application, financial need, academic ability, and course of study.”

Final selections are made in June and the number of awards granted is dependent on the amount of annual donations, which are received from Abic member companies in the first half of each year.

A total of 64 completed applications were received this year, 43 shortlisted applicants were interviewed, and 21 students were awarded scholarships from the $533,500 raised.

Spotlight on trio of students

Sachio Harrison

A former student of Somersfield Academy and the Bermuda High School, Sachio has been known to be “energetic and passionate about everything he does”, especially in regards to his “valuable” volunteer work with Friends of Hospice and the Bermuda National Trust. He said that volunteering has “helped him to develop effective communication and collaborative skills”.

He spearheaded fundraising events for the Lady Cubitt Compassionate Association and cancer charity Pals, which earned him the Youth Volunteer Award from the Centre on Philanthropy in 2014.

As an honours student, Sachio has always enjoyed “getting to the root of any problem and solving it”.

In addition, he has worked part-time since he was 10 at supermarket chain MarketPlace, which he said taught him time management and how to prioritise tasks.

Zantae Dill

Zantae, an honour roll student, was proud to have completed nine GCSEs and three Advanced Placement courses during high school.

She was also involved in many extracurricular activities, including the Bermuda national gymnastics team, where she has been a member since she was 12 and, recently, its captain for her last competitive season.

Overall, Zantae is “a stellar athlete” who donates her time to helping out at gymnastics and has volunteered as a mentor to young students at West Pembroke Primary.

She was a nominee for the Outstanding Teen Award in 2016 and took part in the Bermuda Youth Parliament, holding the position of Acting Minister of Health and Safety.

Théo Wolffe

Beyond his interest in business, Théo is also an “exemplary” leader. He was appointed as senior prefect at Warwick Academy, elected president of the Student Council and was also saxophone leader of the school’s jazz band. Outside of school, he was elected Youth Premier of Bermuda. Théo was also selected to represent Bermuda at the Berlin Model United Nations Conference in Berlin last year.

He was also a delegate at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Youth Summit in the Bahamas in the same year and attended the Global Young Leaders’ Conference, held in China two years ago. After taking part in a six-month programme, he was announced as the winner of the 2016 Alpha Beautillion after showcasing “oratorical skills and talents”.