More than 70 students have been given a leg-up to continue their education through this year’s Government scholarships and awards scheme.

Diallo Rabain, the Minister of Education, unveiled the award winners yesterday and congratulated the winners for their hard work.

Mr Rabain said: “The Ministry of Education is proud to show their continued support of our students by providing scholarships and awards with the same amount of funding as last year, despite the economic challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic has placed on the Government.

“This government knows the importance education has on the future of individuals and our island. We will never stop assisting our students in reaching their goals and empowering them to achieve their dreams.

“We know that by consistently investing in our students now, we will reap the benefits well into the future. Thus, we are more than happy to provide continued support for our students.”

McKenzie Kohl-Tuckett, a former Warwick Academy pupil who will take a legal studies degree at the University of Bristol in the UK, and Daria Symonds, a Berkeley Institute graduate who will study biology at Howard University, were both awarded the Bermuda Government Scholarship worth up to $35,000.

The $25,000 Minister’s Achievement Scholarship – intended for students who have left CedarBridge Academy or the Berkeley Institute – was awarded to Egypt Cann and Jamin Fubler.

Ms Cann is set to enter her sophomore year at Temple University as a Bachelor of Business Administration student and Mr Fubler will attend Dalhousie University in Canada to study engineering.

Kameyah Jones-Mussenden was awarded the $25,000 Technical and Vocational Award to support her as she pursues a degree in clinical laboratory science at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina.

Xela Swan was granted a $25,000 Minister’s Exceptional Student Award to further her studies for an architecture degree at the University of Nottingham.

Iziah Tucker and Deontae Armstrong were each awarded $5,000 Minister’s Exceptional Student Awards to continue their studies at Bermuda College.

Dawrae Gibbons and Michael Paynter were each awarded the Teacher Education Scholarship – worth up to $20,000.

Tiffany Durham and Paige Raynor received the Non-Traditional Student Award for university students aged 25 and over – worth up to $20,000 each.

Bryan Smith Hayward and Keyahjae Simons both received the $5,000 Applied Science Scholarships, and Selah Ray, Quince’e Jones and Aallayah Wolffee were given $500 Bermuda College Book Awards.

The Ministry of Education also announced that 54 students were given Further Education Awards, worth up to $10,000, to continue their postsecondary studies.