Elias Baia is this year’s recipient of the Bermuda Foundation for Insurance Studies’ Signature Scholarship.
Valued at $25,000 and given annually for up to four years, the award is designed to support “high-achieving undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional leadership, academic excellence, and a passion for making a lasting impact”.
BFIS felt that the Berkeley Institute graduate, who heads to the University of Kent in England in September to study politics and economics, “checked all those boxes – and more”.
“Elias Baia is exactly the kind of future leader BFIS was created to support. His academic excellence, leadership experience and personal drive made him an outstanding candidate for our Signature Scholarship,” said BFIS trustees chair Shellé Thompson.
“What’s most exciting is his clear commitment to returning to Bermuda and building a career in the (re)insurance industry. We’re proud to support him on this journey and look forward to the impact he will make in the years ahead.”
Elias graduated summa cum laude. At the Berkeley Institute, his subjects included AP calculus, English, and biology. He also earned a Google certification in quantitative data analytics. Outside the classroom, his interests included theatre, debate and fitness.
BFIS relaunched the scholarship this year with a “renewed focus on leadership, in recognition of the critical role that strong, values-driven leaders play in shaping the future of Bermuda’s (re)insurance industry”.
The award is part of a commitment to invest in young Bermudians who demonstrate both academic excellence and the “potential to lead with purpose and return to make an impact in our industry and community”.
What set Elias apart was his proven leadership across a wide spectrum of activities. He served as head boy at Berkeley, captained Bermuda’s World Schools Debate Competition team, and was a Bermuda Future Leader and Youth Parliamentarian.
Even with all that, Elias wasn’t initially sure that he would measure up.
“There was a looming feeling of doubt,” he said. “‘Do I really have what it takes?’ I would ask myself.”
Being named as one of two recipients of the Outstanding Teen Award for Leadership gave him the confidence to apply.
“In a pool of talented, passionate young individuals, it became pertinent to my success that I differentiate myself,” he said. “In my case, my key differentiator was proven experience. Leadership for me was not relegated to the realm of theory, but instead the de facto modus operandi of my academic and extracurricular life.”
Joy and relief
Winning the scholarship was a proud moment — one he and his parents will never forget.
“I still remember that moment like it was yesterday. I stared at the e-mail for a minute or five, and finally found the courage to open it. Upon reading the words that confirmed my acceptance, I ran straight upstairs to tell my dad, who also happened to be on his day off. He could not believe it and read and reread the e-mail ten times before he reacted,” Elias said.
“Seeing the relief on my father’s face, seeing my mother cry when she heard the news… I felt, for the first time, as though I had finally been able to repay my parents for everything they had done for me. And I had BFIS to thank for it all.”
On completion of his studies Elias intends to return to home for a career in political risk insurance underwriting. He hopes to one day play a key role in Bermuda’s globally respected insurance industry.
“I don’t think the gravity of the news has set in yet,” he said. “I don’t think it will until I’m looking out of the window of the plane bound for school. Until then, I’ll pinch myself every now and then to check if it’s real.”
Ms Thompson added: “Elias Baia represents exactly the kind of changemaker the BFIS Signature Scholarship was created to support: intelligent, grounded, driven and ready to lead. Congratulations, Elias! The future looks brighter with you in it.”
BFIS has awarded more than $9.2 million in scholarships to 297 students since its inception in 1996.
