Social activist Taj Donville-Outerbridge has been named the 2024 recipient of the BF&M Postgraduate John Wight Scholarship.

The scholarship will support his pursuit of a double masters at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences in England and the University of Toronto in Canada, where he will obtain a master’s in public administration and a master’s in global affairs.

This programme accepts only 15 students each year.

Mr Donville-Outerbridge was selected from more than 60 students who applied to receive the $20,000 scholarship.

BF&M said he stood out from the group because of his passion for activism, unwavering ambition, and dedication to causes related to youth such as LGBTQ+ rights and antiracism.

Alexis Stovell, BF&M client experience manager, said the scholarship committee was deeply impressed by Mr Donville-Outerbridge’s unwavering commitment to his community and his dedication to advancing equity in Bermuda’s health policies.

“We proudly support Taj’s educational ambitions and activism, and we look forward to the positive impact he will undoubtedly have in Bermuda,” Ms Stovell said. “We wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

Mr Donville-Outerbridge is a former dual-enrolment student and graduate of The Berkeley Institute.

He recently completed his bachelor’s in global health and social medicine at King’s College London, where he formally served in many liberation-focused positions. He also served as the immediate past LGBTQ+ representative for the National Union of Students Liberation team in Britain.

He is also the youngest non-executive director of Bermuda’s only LGBTQ+ charity, OutBermuda.

“The BF&M postgraduate scholarship aims to empower exceptional individuals like Taj to make a difference in their chosen fields and contribute to positive change,” Ms Stovell said. “We are proud to support Taj’s aspirations of becoming a policymaker, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact he will make on the world.”