Tenneil Ratteray and Azari Thomas are two of 14 student winners of Dr Barbara Ball Public Health scholarships.

Tenneil, studying for a doctorate in physical therapy at Andrews University, Michigan, said: “I was very thankful because now I am able to go to school.”

She added: “Scholarships are needed to help send people away to school so that they can have the degree they need to work and make a living.”

Tenneil, 22, said she wanted to specialise in paediatric special needs after a family member benefited from the service.

Tenneil said: “I saw all the therapy that he was receiving and how it impacted not only him but my entire family as a whole.

“I wanted to impact other families the same way.”

She applied for the Dr Barbara Ball scholarship because it was awarded by the Ministry of Health. Tenneil said: “I wanted to get a close tie with the government because in the future I plan on working for the government in the school system.”

She added that she was also inspired by Dr Ball, the first woman doctor in Bermuda and a champion of human rights.

Tenneil said: “She always thought that if a man can do it then why can’t a woman? I agree with that 100 per cent.”

She added: “I will try my hardest to be the best at what I do, which is what Dr Ball did.”

Tenneil shadowed physiotherapists who specialise in therapy for children with special needs over the past three years.

She said: “I know there is a demand for local physiotherapists. I know that for a fact.”

Azari said the scholarship award meant “everything” to her.

“This scholarship really encourages people who do have a passion for health and who would be good in the medical field to actually pursue it.”

Azari, 20, is due to start her third year at the University of Virginia where she is taking a degree in economics before going on to study dentistry at Howard University in Washington.

She said, “I always liked economics. I found it easy.”

But Azari added that a meeting with Bermudian dentist Dr Celia Nzabalinda convinced her to follow in her footsteps and become a dentist.

“Once I spoke with her I said, ‘Yes, done deal’. I want to stick with this until I finish.

“Before, I wanted to have my own practice, but now I feel like I need to stay in the public sector and be able to give some services back to the community.

She added: “The community helped me get my education — the least I can do is give back.”

Azari was able to gain work experience shadowing dentists at Hamilton dental practice Smiles Inc.

She said, “This scholarship means a lot, especially for those in medicine because I feel like you get pushed to not do anything besides business because you can’t get funding.”