It wasn’t exactly a charitable act on the scale of a Bill Gates or a Warren Buffett, but in the Bermuda context, Laurion Burchall’s decision to return the scholarship money he was given more than a decade ago was almost as significant.

The story of Mr. Burchall’s decision to give back the money to the Bank of Bermuda Foundation to enable someone else to have the same opportunities was told on the front page of yesterday’s Royal Gazette.<$>

This newspaper is often criticised for giving prominence to “negative news”, but Mr. Burchall’s story shows that that is not the case. Good news has a place on the front page too, and Mr. Burchall’s story was very good news

He said he was inspired to return the money after a talk at his employer — computer giant Microsoft, which not coincidentally is run by Mr. Gates — about giving back to the community.

Mr. Burchall then made the decision to return the scholarship money he had received from 1991 to 1995 that enabled him to go to Brown University, part of the US’s renowned Ivy League.

That is inspiring enough and shows Mr. Burchall’s generosity of spirit. He sets an example to everyone who has benefited from the quite extraordinary amount of money that is set aside for further education in Bermuda.

But Mr. Burchall’s story has wider implications. A black Bermudian male, he attended one of the best universities in America and now works for one of the must successful companies in the world.

When concerns are raised about the plight of black males, it should not be forgotten that many are successful, and they owe at least part of their success to a community that recognises and promotes ability and enables people to reach for the stars.

It can be argued that Mr. Burchall is not living here and is not giving back to his community in that way, but that’s a red herring. Bermuda is a small place that cannot offer all of the opportunities that a country the size of the US can. The fact that a Bermudian is working at the top of his profession abroad should be something to take pride in, and not a point of criticism.

And one day, Mr. Burchall may well come back, armed with experience and knowledge he may not have been able to get here. That’s all to the good.

The community rightly demands that more Bermudians — black and white, male and female — should get the opportunities that Mr. Burchall has benefited from, and it is up to the community to ensure they do.

And Mr. Burchall should be a role model to the black males who feel alienated and cut off from opportunity. And the fact remains that in a country with full employment and a demand for qualified Bermudians in virtually every field available, it is possible for anyone with talent and a willingness to work hard to succeed.

Now, with Mr. Burchall’s scholarship money back with the bank, another person will get the chance he had. More people should follow his example.