Tech-geek Taiva Paynter had no idea how she would make her way through college.

It was her dream to work in information technology but she didn’t have the money for her schooling and, although she’d applied for multiple scholarships and bursaries, she wasn’t sure if anything would pan out.

And then just in the nick of time one came through.

For more than ten years, the Continental Society has given a bursary to students under the age 23 who show financial need and have a GPA between 2.5 and 3.5. This year they were able to give out two awards of $4,000.

CheVon Francis, 21, was also awarded a bursary to help get her closer to her goal of working in human resources.

Miss Paynter, 20, said the bursary was extremely important to her because she wanted to find a way to help her mother out with mounting expenses.

“My mom is a single parent and I didn’t want for all of it to come out of her pocket,” she said.

A bank loan would have been necessary without the scholarship, she added.

She said she felt “honoured” to learn she had received some support, especially considering this was her first award to come through.

“It means a lot,” she said. “I first found out when a member of the Continental Society called my mom. I was in her presence and she ended up passing the phone to me. My mom was so happy and lost for words. I think she was really proud.”

Miss Paynter is hoping to pursue a bachelor’s degree in IT at Seneca College in Toronto, Canada.

She said: “From young I have been a tech geek, I guess you could call it. I have always been interested in technology and electronics and when I was in high school at CedarBridge Academy I took different courses. The computer ones were the only ones I really loved.”

She said she could spend hours on her computer, iPad or phone — and if something was ever wrong with a family member’s device they would call her to try and fix it.

Anytime her mother came home with a new device, Miss Paynter would be the one to show her how to use it. That’s how word spread within her family that she had a knack for technology.

Last year Ms Paynter was selected as an intern within the Ministry of Education’s IT Department; then in January she was hired to do a six-month stint in their offices.

Her advice to anyone whose income is standing in the way of their dreams is to keep the faith.

“You can be anything you want to be, but just know you can also start at home and research on your own and take the initiative.”

Ms Francis was also hoping to get a scholarship to take financial pressure off her mom.

She said: “My other sister is also in university in Canada and I have two younger siblings that my mother cares for by herself, so I wanted to do what I could to help.”

Ms Francis said she was surprised to hear she got the bursary — and didn’t think she would beat out scores of other applicants.

“I was really excited and my mom was even more excited than me,” she said. “My first thought was ‘Oh my goodness I got a scholarship’ because I applied for like 15.

“Getting it was extremely important to me and came as a blessing. Now my mom doesn’t have to worry so much about me when I go away and the bursary can go towards paying for my accommodation or the cost of tuition.”

She is hoping to study psychology and business at Manchester Metropolitan University in the autumn.

And while she has always done well in subjects like science and business at Berkeley Institute, it wasn’t until a few years ago while working at the Accountant General’s Office that she got to experience the different aspects of human resources.

“I was working one-on-one with people and saw how they worked within the business sector,” she explained. “I liked that with human resources you get to communicate with people and see how they feel within a company and how well they work within it.

“You also get to see what parts of the company aren’t working so well.

“The biggest satisfaction comes when you are able to create a peaceful environment within the working community and over time you get to see how employees perform better because they enjoy work more.”

For more information on the Continental Society of Bermuda’s annual bursary, visit: http://bermudascholarships.com/donor/Continental-Society/76.