Businessman for the past 44 years, former Premier Sir John Swan told a room full of insurance students yesterday that apart from fulfilling their career and personal endeavours, they had an obligation to make Bermuda an even better place of opportunity for all.

He said: "You have an obligation to participate in the community by helping to define its priorities, to ensure the country is well managed and maintains a moral and ethical public respect in the process of good governance,"

Sir John Swan gave the graduation speech at the Bermuda Insurance Institute Education Awards Luncheon prior to handing out almost 50 certificates and diplomas.

Sir John told the students to feel no guilt in moving up the ladder of success faster than others.

"Do not be distracted and thus slow your growth because of constant disagreements that go on in our tiny, highly opinionated little island. Determine what you want out of your life, what you are prepared to put into it and be prepared to take the consequences of your decisions," he said. "With the application of your newly acquired knowledge and skills, I look forward to your taking on the various challenges that your careers will offer you. I further encourage you not to let your careers so completely dominate your time that you do not have time for community involvement. Bermuda needs your practical and managerial skills to help mould the future of our country, which will affect successive generations. I hope you will share in the responsibility of making Bermuda a better place in the future."

Students yesterday were presented with a variety of qualifications ranging from the Certificate in General Insurance to the Chartered Insurance Institute's Advance Diploma in Insurance. Nine of the students yesterday also received cash prizes and scholarships.

The three scholarships, open to Bermudians or spouses of Bermudians who wish to study more advanced insurance programmes, were awarded to students from ACE, Argus and XL.

Laurel K. Powell from XL received the 2004 Shelton Burgess Scholarship. It is named in honour of the late Registrar of Companies who was one of the principal architects of the Bermuda Insurance Act 1978. Mrs. Powell also received The BF&M Insurance Group prize for best student in Personal Insurance class.

Helena Pimentel of Argus received the 2004 Verbena Daniels Scholarship named in honour of another late Registrar of Companies. During Ms. Daniels' tenure as Registrar of Companies Bermuda achieved widespread recognition as a leading international commercial insurance market.

Rolf A. Fisher of ACE received the new Willis Scholarship donated by Willis Bermuda.

Alison Hirschi of Arch Insurance received The Argus Group subject prize for best student in Property and Liability Insurance Principles class while Tracy Melissa Owens received the Bermuda Independent Underwriters Association prize for best student in Commercial Insurance class.

Ernst & Young's prize for best student in Bermuda Insurance Market class was awarded to Jacqueline Teunissen.

The Bermuda Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers Association prize for the student having the highest completion grade of everyone that completed their CPCU in Bermuda during the past year was awarded to Rael T. Coen of Symphony Management. The CPCU Society prizes for the student having the second highest CPCU completion grade this year and the third highest CPCU completion grade went to Jeremy Wright of ACE and Holly Flaxbeard of Aon respectively.

Henry Sutton of Converium was nominated Outstanding CPCU/IIA Course Leader. The American Institute for CPCU/Insurance Institute of America nomination is awarded to teachers who have a pass ratio for three or more classes exceeding the national pass ratios for those courses.