North Carolina might be just a hop, skip and jump away from Bermuda, but it proved to be the right spot for Kennette Burgess to thrive.

The 28-year-old has not only excelled in her marketing career, she’s also been recognised for her work with a non-profit in the area.

She was recently honoured by her alma mater, Winston-Salem State University, as one of “40 alumni under 40” who exemplified the true spirit of the school.

She said she felt “humbled” by the award.

Ms Burgess left the Island in 2005 to get her bachelor’s degree at WSSU.

“I wanted to attend an historically black college or university and continue my family legacy. Considering that most HBCUs are located in the state of North Carolina, I decided to go there.”

She had heard great things about WSSU from two cousins who studied there. She also liked that it was accredited, affordable and on the East Coast of the US. Since then she’s grown to really feel at home in North Carolina.

The weather is quite moderate in comparison to other States and the cuisine is also very similar to what she’s used to in Bermuda.

“I love the diverse culture here,” Ms Burgess said. “From going to school to now working here, I get to meet people from everywhere.

“North Carolina is known as an international hub due to its huge international furniture market.

“I also love that it’s similar to Bermuda and not terribly congested and busy like New York or Atlanta. It’s very family-oriented, which is great, and the roads here are easy to drive.”

She liked it so much she decided to get her Master’s in business administration from High Point University in North Carolina.

She stayed on after graduation to work as an international product manager for shopping comparison site, www.shop.com.

“Returning to Bermuda to work immediately after graduation wasn’t an option for me,” she explained.

“I would not be an asset to myself, my family or my country if I were to do so. Work experience to me was key.”

On a daily basis she manages health and nutrition products on the site from countries around the world.

She’s even had the chance to manage brands for celebrities like basketball star Carmelo Anthony and his wife La La, as well as retired basketball player Scottie Pippen.

But one thing she’s even more proud of is her community involvement.

Ms Burgess was introduced to a non-profit organisation called Empowered Girls of North Carolina back in 2011, thanks to fellow Bermudian Shayla Whitter.

The group, which provides academic tutoring and empowerment workshops for girls, needed volunteers to supervise a girls’ night out sleepover. Ms Burgess only expected to lend a hand for the night — she still volunteers with them today.

She serves as the organisation’s marketing director and also sits as vice chairwoman on the charity’s board.

“I continue to do it because I’m passionate about our mission ‘enhancing the quality of girls’ lives by providing programming that builds integrity, respect and self-worth’. I see results all the time from the programmes we offer.

“And I love working with young girls to ensure they have a bright future and better opportunities than I did.”

She said it’s rewarding to see young girls leave with more self-esteem and a desire to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering or math, which are historically male-dominated.

She’s also been able to see them become more financially empowered and start to make better relationship choices.

“It’s also amazing to see them off to college, after which many return to become volunteers themselves and give back to others,” she said.

Her volunteer commitments take up a huge amount of her time, but it’s worth it.

“Luckily with all that I do, I learnt to multitask early from watching my mother [Lovette Burgess-Pemberton] and grandmother,” she said.

“Sometimes I miss key social events, time with friends and also sleep because there is always a lot to be done to make a non-profit successful. My motto is I can sleep when I die, but right now I have things to do. I have to stay organised and rely on my calendars to keep me on track and ensure things don’t overlap.”

Ms Burgess said it’s easy to give back when she thinks of all the ways she’s been blessed through scholarships and other schemes.

She also gives marketing assistance to the Hamilton Parish Workman’s Club, where she once was a majorette and on the netball team.

“We all have a responsibility to keep the ball rolling, and if everyone does their part then the world would be that much better,” she said.

Her ultimate plan is to return to Bermuda to work in either sports management or business marketing.

“I’m planning to make a real change in my island paradise one day,” she said.