At 22, Roy Allen Burch already has a lot on his plate.

He is a senior studying general business at Springfield College, Massachusetts, and is training day and night to qualify for the Olympics in the 50-yard freestyle.

To top it off, Roy is a father to 22-month-old Serena and launched his own design business — Wonder Effect — in September.

A weaker person would be overwhelmed by his commitments, but Roy says he is only made stronger by his "firecracker" of a daughter who inspires him.

He said: "She's a support for me. It was really hard the first year she was born. It was out of control and I still had to go to class and function in class.

"That always inspires me and the company, this is something that I have to do. It's something that has become a part of me.

"Hopefully one of these days it will be big enough to support me, but I have a degree to go out there and get a job too."

So far his socially conscious t-shirt design company has already made waves and Roy will receive a $2,500 reward as part of the Entrepreneurship Initiative from the Grinspoon Charitable Foundation Entrepreneurship Foundation on Tuesday evening.

The initiative was created to encourage entrepreneurial activity in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts by recognising and awarding students for their work.

Springfield College, where Roy is a senior, falls into their area and so when his teacher mentioned the initiative last year he decided to take the challenge.

Inspired by his many years travelling for the Bermuda swim team, Roy decided his design company needed to be one with a purpose.

His first t-shirt was simply the logo for his company — 'W'.

But the second t-shirt transitioned his company into the world of social awareness, by placing the 'W' on the continent of Africa in the position of Sudan.

Roy hopes that people will wear the shirt and others will ask them why 'W'.

It's his little part of trying to raise awareness about the genocide in Darfur, Sudan.

He said: "I am trying to raise awareness about Darfur. I went to Brazil for the PanAms and after that I had seen a level of poverty I had never seen before.

"I thought it could be something that could let the company out. People had come up with the idea but I could take it further because it's an issue that's not quite out there enough.

"If the person is wearing it they will know about it and will be passing on the message, because people will ask what the t-shirt means."

T-shirts were the easiest way into the fashion world for him — raising more money then any other item might have.

And before he expands his line to include other clothing articles Roy hopes to design a t-shirt for a topic that is close to his hear — the Olympics.

He has been training for them, but feels like there is little support or even awareness in Bermuda about the fact that the Island sends athletes to the games.

Part of the problem with both the lack of support for Olympians, he thinks, is the problem with people sticking with the sports they are more comfortable with such as soccer and cricket.

He said: "No one seems to know we send people to the Olympics. Or they feel more comfortable (being) with more black people but I have become more comfortable in any scene.

"I would like to expose people to more things. Everyone's sitting on their hands waiting for a handout. You have got to go and get it. That's what my experiences out there has taught me."

Roy then hopes to expand his line to a full clothing line and shopping bags — which he hopes will be able to further the 'Go Green' message that's so important.

He said: "It was just the beginning. I don't know where it's going to take me. Since I am running the company now I cannot speak about things the way I used to. Trying to reason with situations.

"It has changed my level of maturity to issues around the world. Most of the people don't understand how it effects us as people.

"I hope they see me and say if this person came from this small place there's no reason you cannot make a difference; that you can't be part of something."

Before he can launch the 'Go Green' shopping bag, though, he hopes to have the name Wonder Effect proceed it, making it a coveted logo for fashionistas.

His next visit to Bermuda will be on May 24 when he hopes to hold a boat cruise, which will include a t-shirt with the price of the tickets.

For more information on his t-shirts or to find out more on the boat cruise, you can email Roy at roy@wondereffect.com. He hopes to have his website up soon which will be: wondereffect.com.