A young Bermudian has launched a website, inspired by a competition, offering students step-by-step guidance through the wilderness of college applications.

Maya Dean said the online hub — BermudianaSources.com, launched this month — offers practical tools to help students keep organised and confident, with application details for colleges in the United States, Britain and Canada and information on Bermuda College studies.

“The platform provides step-by-step guidance, outlines key requirements and centralises all the essential resources in one hub,” Ms Dean said.

The 21-year-old told The Royal Gazette the platform would prove especially valuable for first-generation students.

Ms Dean added: “The website also features advice on transitioning to a new country and shares student testimonies, allowing users to learn from real experiences.”

Its resources align with the preferences of admissions committees, covering community service and extracurricular involvement, offering connections to local organisations to develop leadership skills and experience.

It gives guidance on scholarship preparation, internships, interview tips and crafting effective resumes and cover letters.

“Importantly, Bermudiana Sources supports families as well as students,” Ms Dean said.

“Many parents want to help but may be unfamiliar with today’s international application procedures, timelines and expectations.”

The website is tailored for parents to make informed decisions alongside their children.

Ms Dean said it would be updated annually to reflect the most current information for each application cycle.

The project has its genesis in a competition at Duke University in the US this year.

The former student of The Berkeley Institute recalled learning about it from a professor in January of her junior year.

“At the time, I was struggling with public speaking, so I saw it as a chance to challenge myself, build confidence and practise presenting,” she said.

It called for student proposals on businesses as a force for good.

Her submission — NextGen Resource Centre, which brought together community-based hubs supported by an online platform— focused on education inequality hitting low-income students in high-poverty schools in the US.

She said: “I explained how chronic underfunding often shows up as overcrowded classrooms, outdated materials, teacher shortages, limited extracurricular opportunities, limited access to technology and minimal counselling support.”

Ms Dean also highlighted how the gaps “disproportionately impact many students of colour, including Black and Hispanic or Latino students”.

She proposed growing the idea with a physical centre in a high-poverty community once funding and partnerships could be secured.

Although her proposal did not place in the top ten, the experience motivated her to pursue the concept back home.

Ms Dean added: “Even without placing or presenting, the experience stayed with me. It pushed me to reflect on why the idea mattered so much and who else it could serve.

“That reflection brought me back to Bermuda and to my own senior year of high school.

“I remember how overwhelming it felt to apply to colleges and scholarships without a clear, centralised guide.”

Ms Dean recounted the struggle of doing everything on her own “without a real road map”.

Scholarships were a similar challenge, leaving her unsure where to find key documents, what a strong resume should look like and how to prepare for interviews.

Ms Dean added: “I decided to take action and bring this idea to life for my community.”

Planning ran from March to June, including brainstorming brand names and researching website development.

She consulted Lorene Phillips, the founder of coaching and leadership firm Clarendon Wallace, and collaborated with the design studio SJD World in July.

The firm handled coding and technical aspects while she focused on research, content development and page layouts.

Counsellors from CedarBridge Academy and The Berkeley Institute brought her up to speed on the latest college application processes.

After final revisions and fact-checking, the website launched on December 15.

Ms Dean, who graduated from The Berkeley Institute with honours, also got accepted in 2020 into the Bermuda College’s dual enrolment programme.

From there, she received multiple acceptances from US universities. She chose North Carolina A & T State University, and will graduate in May 2026 with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Management.

As a recipient of multiple scholarships in Bermuda, Ms Dean was inspired to give back.

“This is one of the reasons why Bermudiana Sources means so much to me.

“I want to support and empower the next generation of scholars, just as I have been supported on my journey.”

She urged prospective college and university students to “understand that dreams remain just dreams unless you take action”.

She added: “If you have a goal, start building, even if you do not have everything figured out yet. Take initiative.

“Pay attention to what your community needs. If you notice a problem, do not wait for someone else to fix it. Be the solution.’’