Bermuda may be small and geographically remote, but there are few places in the world with better opportunities for young people to find a pathway into an international business career.
The combination of numerous scholarships that open doors to further education and the presence of a thriving, global insurance industry on our doorstep spells opportunity to those with the necessary aptitude and commitment.
Two such young Bermudians, scholarship recipients Samiah Fisher and Shayla Robinson, are pursuing college education overseas and eyeing a future in the island’s insurance market.
Both were among the many Bermudians to have benefited from the ABIC Education Awards, one of the island’s largest and longest-running scholarship programmes, which is led by the Association of Bermuda International Companies (ABIC) and funded by member companies. Now in its 47th year, the programme has supported the education of more than 740 students.
Ms Fisher, who was awarded the Zurich/Hannover Re Scholarship and the Shernelle Outerbridge Award last year, has completed her first year at Buckinghamshire New University in the UK, studying Finance and Accounting.
In 2023, she graduated with honours from CedarBridge Academy, where she discovered an early interest in mathematics and a subsequent fascination with finance.
“The scholarships really did help me,” she said. “I’ve just finished my first year at university and enjoyed it a lot. It exposed me to different cultures, people from many different backgrounds and different aspects of work. Finance and accounting could lead me into many different industries, because every business needs accountants.”
This summer she has been interning in the finance department of The Fidelis Partnership, an international re/insurance business, an experience that has fuelled her interest in the industry.
Her advice for other high-school students hoping to follow her path is direct and positive. “Take advantage of every opportunity you get,” she said. “International companies are always looking for young Bermudians.
“Take every chance to network and get your name out there. Go down that path to create business relationships that can help you get a scholarship or internship, or even a job after you finish university.”
Bermuda’s extraordinary business and scholarship environment creates exceptional opportunities for locals, she added. “I’m a first-generation Bermudian, the daughter of Jamaican parents. When you think about it, just being born here gives you an upper hand. You definitely need to take advantage of the opportunities open to you.”
Ms Robinson is another 2023 ABIC Education Awards recipient targeting a future in the island’s flagship re/insurance industry. Having been awarded the Bacardi Scholarship last year, she is about to enter her second year at the University of North Carolina Greenboro, where she is pursuing a degree in Finance.
She graduated in 2023 from The Berkeley Institute, where she held leadership positions, including deputy head girl, prefect and Student Council treasurer.
“Scholarships are extremely important for Bermudians, especially those looking to work in the insurance industry,” she said. “They lift the financial burden and give many of us an opportunity to study overseas.
“I think of scholarships as an investment. My scholarship is an investment in me and I will come home to try to make a difference in the insurance industry.”
Ms Robinson has an unerring focus on acquiring an undergraduate degree, potentially followed by an MBA, and then coming home to work in some capacity in Bermuda’s re/insurance business. She describes herself as “an outlier” who sets high standards for herself.
“When I think of an outlier, I think of something that stands out from the rest,” she said. “I think of somebody with determination, drive and willingness to do whatever it takes to reach their full potential. That’s how I like to think of myself.”
This summer, she is working as an internal audit intern in the Hamilton office of Talcott Financial Group, an international life insurance group. “I’m getting a lot of hands-on experience. It’s much more than just a filing internship,” she said. “They involve us in calls and projects and I get to experience different sections of the company.”
She urged fellow students to be bold in seizing scholarship opportunities. “If you don’t take the risk, you don’t get a result,” she said. “Try to apply for any scholarship you can.”
