Pria Lewis graduated from Berkeley Institute this year with ambitions to pursue a career in accounting.

She is a step closer after being named the recipient of the 2019 Deloitte Scholarship. It comes as she prepares to begin Bachelor of Commerce degree studies, with a major in accounting, at the University of Guelph.

Netball, football and running are some of the pursuits that helped Ms Lewis shine at high school, as did her academic achievements and leadership, which saw her become a consistent honour roll recipient and being elected to join the National Junior Honor Society.

That impressive background was noted by those who made the scholarship selection.

Rachelle Frisby, Partner in Financial Advisory at Deloitte and member of the scholarship selection committee, said of Ms Lewis: “As a prefect, she is a well-rounded individual both in academics and athletics. She has also represented Bermuda as a member of the National Gymnastics team where she learnt valuable skills such as teamwork, resilience and communication techniques. We congratulate Pria on her hard work and wish her continued success in her studies.”

The scholarship award offers up to $20,000 per year for a maximum of three years and is available to Bermudians pursuing an undergraduate degree with an interest in accounting, actuarial or business related studies.

The selection committee chose Ms Lewis “from a group of high-calibre shortlisted scholarship applicants where she stood out for her drive and determination to succeed”.

She will join the Deloitte Internship Programme for the summer, where she will gain experience within the audit and assurance practice.

Ms Lewis said: “I attended a Deloitte Insight Event and I was convinced that this was going to be my career path. I was also hoping that I would one day work there. I was informed about the scholarship and thought I would apply. When I received the successful call my first thoughts were: I will spend the rest of my life reliving this moment. What a reward for years of hard work. I’m looking forward to the next chapter in my life.”

Deloitte Bermuda said it is keen to provide opportunities to ambitious students and graduates who are focused on developing experience in the financial or insurance services. It offers work placement, attractive benefits, local and overseas training and development, educational support, sports and social events, corporate social initiatives, and wellbeing programmes.

Its other student programmes include: Highschool Work Experiences, Co-op placements, the Deloitte Scholarship and the Deloitte Graduate Programme.

Deloitte said it recognised the value in supporting students to pursue their educational goals.

The scholarship application is available on the Bermuda Scholarships website, with a deadline of March 31 annually.

Interested students, parents, guardians and teachers should visit www2.deloitte.com/bm/en/toptalent for more information including details on the upcoming student networking event ‘Deloitte Invites Top Talent’ on July 22 at Bungalow 56.