Education is just one of seven pillars that make up the mission of community organisation, Bermuda is Love.
The other six are access to food, housing, clothing, healthcare, justice and a healthy environment. This framework, explained Bermuda Is Love founder, Aaron Crichlow “is to build a community of love, where everyone’s basic needs are met”.
While every child in Bermuda has access to free primary and secondary education, it unfortunately stops there.
Mr Crichlow believes this needs to change.
“Everyone should have universal access to higher education,” he said.
“All levels of education should be fully accessible so that people can have the opportunity to learn what they want to learn, and go into the careers that they really want to go into, and not feel like they are stifled by economic issues.”
A FAMILY PLAN
Starting in 2022, he put his money where his mouth is by using his own funds to create a scholarship.
When he was first contemplating a scholarship to support his belief, Mr Crichlow was worried that the amount he would be able to offer wouldn’t be enough.
“I talked to my grandfather and asked him if it was a good idea,” he said. “It wasn’t going to be a giant. He said that whatever you do is going to help.”
His father agreed and even offered his son financial help.
This sentiment of “something to help is better than nothing to help” is at the heart of Bermuda is Love’s community work, and so Mr Crichlow and his father paid for the first two scholarships out of their own pocket: $5,000 each.
“Thank you to my father for that,” he smiled.
HELP WITH FEES
These scholarships, which Bermuda is Love offers annually, remain at $5,000 each but are now funded between Mr Crichlow and other members of the Bermuda is Love group. The money goes directly towards university or college tuition fees. The organisation recently registered as a charity so this may expand what they can offer or change how it is funded in the future.
While Mr Crichlow might downplay his and the organisation’s generosity, scholarship recipients think otherwise.
One of those grateful recipients is 2024 Bermuda is Love scholar, Kyasia Simmons, who is studying Sports and Exercise Science at Leeds Beckett University in the UK.
“Winning this scholarship meant a lot for me as I was stressing about how my last year of university would be funded,” she said.
“It meant that there’s people other than family members that believe in me and my future endeavours and that my future is worth investing in.”
Ms Simmons hopes to become a Doctor of Physiotherapy, specialising in neurorehabilitation, ultimately opening her own clinic offering affordable health promotions and rehabilitation opportunities to everyone, regardless of their financial means.
“By serving those who require assistance without worrying about payment, I can help them and my country reach an optimum state of well-being,” she explained.
KEEPING IT SIMPLE
Bermuda is Love has made applying for their scholarship as easy as possible. Applicants need to fill out a form, which asks for basic personal information, contact information and details of the institution and degree, or course, the student has applied for. They also have to complete a 500-word essay.
The essay question for 2025 is: What are your visions for a future Bermuda, hopes, dreams, aspirations?
There is no grade or financial assessment, nor is there an age limit, but the applicant must be enrolled in an associate, undergraduate, postgraduate or technical course at college or university. Applicants can be Bermudian or residents of Bermuda and priority will be given to those who volunteer for Bermuda Is Love events. Past recipients have also demonstrated an ambition to return to the island and help Bermuda in some way.
Each year, the essay question changes, but the premise stays the same: “To get people to think about different aspects of philosophical, ideological pieces of what is important to be Bermudian and how we can really change the society we are living in.”
KEEP YOUR WRITING INTERESTING
Mr Crichlow said: “It’s really for them to reflect on what society is now and what changes can be made into the future.”
Their scholarship committee reviews the essays and around six or eight candidates are then invited to an interview.
The committee is looking for essays that are “well-written, interesting, unique to the question and have a unique take on the various issues affecting Bermuda”.
The interview, he continued, “is a way to get to know the candidates, see what their other interests are.”
Ms Simmons believes her well-written essay got her to the interview stage.
In her interview, she showed her passion for healthcare, helping others and ambition of “wanting to create a better Bermuda when it comes to healthcare, specifically rehabilitation for those with neurological disabilities.”
This fits in well with one of Bermuda is Love’s pillars, that everyone should have equal access to healthcare.
For anyone nervous about applying or being interviewed, Mr Crichlow admitted he felt the same way when he was graduating high school and this is why he has tried to make the process simple. For anyone who makes it through to the interview stage, he said, it should help knowing that “we’re all young people in Bermuda is Love. No one’s hit 30 yet and we’re all just trying to help students get to university”.
Applications for the Bermuda is Love scholarship open on Tuesday, April 1, and close on Monday, June 30. The application form will be posted on Bernews and all Bermuda is Love social media platforms. Look for them on Facebook, TikTok, X and Instagram. For more information email info@ bermudaislove.com, call 732-1899 or visit bermudaislove.com.
