By the time many students graduate from high school, they’re celebrating the end of exams and thinking about summer.
For 2026 Berkeley Institute graduate Khamil Burchall, graduation marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter —one that has already included running her own business, interning with one of the world’s largest professional services firms, earning multiple scholarships and preparing to move to New York for university.
Ms Burchall, 18, received a scholarship award to pursue her dream career in actuarial science at St John’s University.She has also been awarded support through the Bermuda Foundation for Insurance Studies, an organisation that has helped her prepare for the next stage of her journey.
It might be easy to assume Ms Burchall has always known exactly what she wanted.
But it all started with people who believed in her.
“What first encouraged me to look beyond the classroom was my former school counsellor, Ms Alisha Mecene, who was always telling me about opportunities related to my career interests,” she said.
“My mom also encouraged me to put myself out there. Once I started meeting new people and building connections, I realised how many doors that networking could open.”
Those opportunities soon began to multiply. Ms Burchall launched Elegant Cupcakes, a small business creating custom cupcakes for customers across Bermuda. She took on leadership roles at Berkeley as a peer leader and senior prefect, while also completing an internship with EY as an Assurance Intern — an experience that even included international business travel.
Each experience taught her something different.
“Running my cupcake business taught me how to manage my time because I had to balance customer orders with school and everything else going on,” she said.
“At EY, I’ve learned responsibility, independence and how to prioritise multiple tasks. Every experience has helped me grow in a different way.”
Ms Burchall first came across actuarial science while reading Girlcott, a story written by Bermudian Florenz Maxwell, which follows a character who dreams of becoming an actuary.
Her interest grew when she was selected to attend Morgan State University’s Summer Academy of Actuarial and Mathematical Sciences, where she learnt about the profession and connecting with industry professionals.
Over the past two years, she has continued building relationships with mentors who have helped shape her future.
“Ms Busayo Salawu and Ms Taiyana Allen really showed me what a career in actuarial science could look like,” she said.
“I love that actuarial science combines mathematics, statistics, creativity and critical thinking, while also giving me the opportunity to help people.”
Ms Burchall said BFIS has been instrumental in helping make her dream possible.
“BFIS has supported me from the moment I became interested in the insurance industry,” she said.
“The networking events, scholarship workshops and connections have been incredibly valuable. Receiving a BFIS scholarship means I can attend my dream university without financial barriers, and that’s something I’m truly grateful for.”
The foundation’s scholarship sessions also helped her better understand the scholarship process and connect directly with people involved in awarding funding.
As she embarks on her challenges ahead, Ms Burchall said she was excited beyond simply university lectures. She is looking forward to studying abroad opportunities, joining actuarial and risk management groups on campus and gaining practical experience through co-op programmes. And of course, there’s the excitement of living in one of the world’s busiest cities.
Long-term, however, her goals remain firmly connected to home. She hopes to become a fully qualified actuary and use her skills to improve access to insurance for more Bermudians.
“One of my goals is to help make appropriate insurance more accessible for people in Bermuda,” she said.
“I want to use my career to help families get the protection they need without finances becoming such a barrier.”
Ms Burchall’s advice to younger students interested in a similar career path is to start building relationships. She encourages those interested in actuarial science to explore programmes like the one at Morgan State University which inspired her.
“Being able to introduce yourself and express your passions can open so many doors,” she said.
“It can lead to mentors, coffee chats, work shadowing, internships, scholarships — or simply having someone remember your name when an opportunity comes along.”
For information on scholarships, internships and careers in Bermuda’s insurance industry, visit www.bfis.bm.
