A young Bermudian student desperate to obtain her degree is pleading for help covering another year in college, after being forced to defer her education twice.

Kahnae Bean, 21, has been assisted by the New Beginnings Educational Trust — but the charity is short just $5,500 of paying for her next year of college.

“This is a young person who’s never let her situation get in her way,” New Beginnings trustee Kerry Judd said. “We feel she deserves any support that we as a community can give her — a young woman who’s worked hard the last several years, not only to put herself through school but to support her entire family.”

With an absent father, a mother recovering from addiction and four young siblings to provide for, Kahnae already works several jobs to make ends meet.

“I grew up in foster care — I lived in five different places growing up,” she told The Royal Gazette.

“My father was abusive, and my mother’s on financial assistance. Most of my money went to support my family.

“Throughout everything, even though this is what my life looks like, I’ve kept my grades up and pushed for my education.”

New Beginnings, a charity for at-risk youth, ordinarily supports the graduates of personal development programmes such as Mirrors — but trustees rallied to provide Kahnae with an interest-free student loan.

She just finished her first year at the University of Hertfordshire, where she studies environmental science, after having to put off her further schooling on two occasions.

Graduating from the Berkeley Institute as a high honours student in 2011, Kahnae had to live with her grandmother as her mother was in rehab.

“There was no money,” she said. “I was working four jobs, just trying to save money as I could.”

An Appleby scholarship couldn’t cover university fees, but she began her science degree through the Bermuda College

The experience was repeated a second year, until she came to a standstill: Bermuda College couldn’t offer more courses in her field.

After appealing a third time for help from Belco, Kahnae won science-related work with the energy company, and secured enough in scholarships from Belco and the Bermuda Botanical Society to enrol for her first year.

The money didn’t last.

Ms Judd said New Beginnings learned of Kahnae’s case in 2013 and elected to assist.

“This is a young woman that we supported last year, and are supporting again — but who needs more,” she said, adding: “We recognised that we had to do something.”

In between two jobs this summer, Kahnae waited to hear back about two hoped-for scholarships, but finally had to reach out again to the New Beginnings Educational Trust earlier this month.

Still $7,500 short, Kahnae got $2,000 added to her loan from the Trust — but New Beginnings had just given out funds to its first awards recipients, and couldn’t provide more.

“I am appealing as a trustee — if any organisation or individual in our community is willing to support us in making up the remaining $5,500, please contact me,” Ms Judd said.

“There might even be scholarships that didn’t give out the full amount this year. I see a young woman who holds herself, dresses and speaks appropriately, someone whose family history you would look at and never expect to have turn out like this.

“This is a common story. There are many young people I meet through the Trust and the Mirrors Programme who are in similar positions.

“But we’re appealing for this young woman to have the chance to return to school.”

Kahnae said she’d been working “every hour, every day I have”, at Belco and Progressive Realty, but even with two paycheques she can’t make ends meet.

“I came back from school and found a lot of bills that weren’t paid,” she said.

Regardless, Kahnae said she was determined to complete her Bachelor’s degree and pursue a Masters to pursue a career in science.

She has until September 10 to make her next year of education.

Anyone able to assist is asked to contact Ms Judd at info@newbeginnings.bm or at 705-3615.