Hailey Quig, the first Bermudian to study at the United World College in Changshu, China, has been awarded the 2017 XL Catlin Scholarship.

Ms Quig, 17, a former Bermuda High School for Girls student, was selected to study at UWC’s Changshu campus and has spent the past two years there making a name for herself academically and in terms of social responsibility.

During her first year, she helped to start an after school English programme at a migrant school. Through Habitat for Humanity in China, she spent a week in a rural village in Yunnan, China to build and improve villagers’ homes.

In addition, she cofounded the school’s student newspaper, started a school-wide peer editing network and co-launched an “Earth Week” to raise environmental awareness among students and faculty at the college.

She will be attending the University of Western Ontario in Canada to study Business Management and Organisational Studies. She has also earned guaranteed entry into the Ivey Honours Business Programme open to third-year students at Western.

Ms Quig plans to ultimately pursue a career in corporate law.

She is the daughter of Dr Myra Virgil and Marc Quig, of Paget, and was selected for the scholarship from a list of more than 30 eligible applicants.

The XL Catlin Scholarship is a four-year full scholarship open to students who are Bermudian or hold Permanent Resident Certificate status and are working towards a degree in insurance and reinsurance industry related studies.

Carol Parker Trott, XL Catlin Scholarship Committee chairwoman, said: “While it is always a pleasure to meet many of Bermuda’s best and brightest young people, it is also extremely difficult to choose one person per year as the scholar.

“This year was no exception. However, the committee was overwhelmingly impressed with what Hailey has already accomplished and experienced at such a young age. Her confidence and independence are well beyond her years. We are proud to have her represent XL Catlin as our newest scholar and look forward to the many valuable contributions we believe that she will make within and outside the industry both locally and globally.”

Ms Quig describes herself as “inquisitive, reliable and hardworking”. She achieved an International Baccalaureate result of 40 points, having studied Chinese, Math, Economics, Biology, English and Geography.

At BHS, she was a co-founding member and editor of the school’s newspaper. She was also the recipient of the Kim Meacham Prize for Economics which is awarded to the highest attaining student in Year 10 and 11 in Economics.

For several years, she received Principal’s Honours for achieving an A average or higher and was also awarded the Alumni Association Centenarian Award for academic achievement, involvement in sports and commitment to community service.

Hailey’s community service activities in Bermuda have included serving as a Frontier Girls Leader which is a weekly programme similar to Girl Guides, which focuses on empowering young girls and development of leadership and life skills. She also served as a junior leader of a weekly programme for the Brownies troop, the second-youngest section of the Girl Guides.

She has played competitive squash and classical guitar. As a part of the Bermuda Junior National Squash Team she competed in local competitions and an international tournament.

Through the Associated Board of Royal School of Music, she became a Grade 5 Scholar with merit and played in the Master class with the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet at the 2014 Bermuda Music Festival.

She has also earned a Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award, competed in debating and participated in the KPMG Investment Challenge.