Khaleel Daley’s work as a candy striper at the hospital earned him an award for his dedication.

The 16-year-old Berkeley Institute pupil and Bermuda College student was one of six winners of the Hospitals Auxiliary of Bermuda Proficiency Award announced in June.

Khaleel, from Hamilton Parish, said: “I was really proud. It’s kind of like the prefect of candy-striping.” He said the award signified good time-keeping, a pleasant attitude, that “you’re just really into what you are doing and you’re a good role model for other candy stripers”.

Khaleel joined the programme, which allows him to volunteer in different areas in the hospital, in 2014 because he was interested in medicine.

He added: “I wasn’t too sure I wanted to be either a doctor or a surgeon or something along those lines. I figured this would be a good way to at least get introduced to the environment.”

Now in his fourth year, he said the programme had been an interesting experience.

Although they are not allowed to do the more intricate or technical things, he enjoys seeing them being done.

He added: “It’s a nice experience. I would recommend it, especially if you are interested in something in the medical field.”

Khaleel explained that tasks can include helping out in the hospital’s Pink Café, manning the hospitality cart or taking patients’ menu orders.

“Other than that, depending on the department, you could be doing anything from making up little medical kits to just shredding some papers. I don’t really have a favourite thing to do — I enjoy it all. For the most part, I do tend to be put into the café though.”

Khaleel said the programme had really developed his people skills and given him a new appreciation for everything he had.

He added: “Being in the hospital, you do see certain things that are less pleasant and it just gives you a new appreciation for the life you have.” There are not a lot of male students in the programme and some people are surprised when they find out he volunteers as a candy striper.

He added: “I know most males think candy-striping is predominantly a female only thing so they kind of get surprised when they hear I do it. And then there might be an ego thing.”

Khaleel volunteers during his school breaks and this year decided to do an intensive amount of volunteer work over the Christmas holiday to accommodate his hectic schedule.

He is now in his final year of the dual enrolment programme at the Bermuda College and has decided to pursue a career in actuarial sciences.

Khaleel realised it would take him a long time to get into anything he would have found interesting in the medical field.

He added: “I knew that mathematics and computer science was another one of my passions and when I explored that avenue, I found actuarial science and something that I kind of made my new life goal.”

Khaleel said juggling an associates degree in actuarial sciences with his high school studies was “quite the task” at first.

But he has learnt how to balance the two and has noticed that his time management has improved drastically.

After finishing at Bermuda College, he plans to attend Georgia State University in Atlanta to complete his bachelor’s degree, which would take two years.

He added: “And then hopefully I will be able to start working when I’m 19, going 20.”

Khaleel is keen to come back to Bermuda because it “is one of the reinsurance capitals of the world”. But he added: “I’d have to probably work for a good three years before I do look to come back here — the market is very tight here.”