Bermuda-based Jardine Matheson.

Aisha bested more than 60 other applicants to win the annual Jardine Scholarship -- which works out at $10,000 a year for three years.

Jardine president Harry Wilken said: "She was a very impressive candidate -- we are most pleased to make this award.'' Mr. Wilken said his firm backed the International Companies Education Awards Scheme with cash -- but also decided to set up a special scholarship fund for Bermuda as well.

He explained: "We are proud to play a part individually in assisting Bermudian students with academic ability and financial need to further their studies at an overseas university.'' Aisha, 17, of Devonshire, will use the cash to help fund her B.Sc. degree at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and hopes to study medicine afterwards.

The former Warwick Academy and Saltus Grammar pupil -- who has been featured on The Royal Gazette's Young Observer page -- said: "I'm extremely grateful to Jardine Matheson.

"It makes things much easier. I've got younger siblings and education is very expensive.'' Mr. Wilken said star student Aisha notched up an "outstanding'' academic record at Warwick Academy, where she achieved a total of ten passes in her English General Certificate of Secondary Education exams -- eight of them at the top "A'' grade.

He added she finished her year at Saltus with "extremely high'' marks in all of her seven exams.

And Mr. Wilken said: "At both schools her extracurricular activities were many and varied, during which, among other things, she completed the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.'' Multi-national Jardine Matheson, founded in Hong Kong last century by two Scots, already operates an international scholarship scheme -- but it is restricted to specific colleges at Oxford and Cambridge in England, where relatively few Bermudians go to study.

Mr. Wilken said the Island arm of the firm decided to set up a separate scheme for Bermudians, who more often choose to study in Canada or the US.

Golden Girl!: Top student Aisha James is seen receiving the annual $30,000 Jardine Matheson Scholarship from company boss Harry Wilken.