He may be just 17, but Xander Cook sees Bermuda’s past as being very much a part of his future.

The Warwick Academy student, who recently graduated from school and is now waiting on his International Baccalaureate results, is hoping to pursue a degree in archaeology at Southampton University in England.

But his long-term goal involves returning to Bermuda and surveying the numerous shipwrecks that litter the seabed.

“I first got interested in archaeology while taking part in the Smiths Island dig with Dr Michael Jarvis,” Xander said.

“I signed up as a volunteer and loved it straight away.”

During the summer Xander has been doing an internship with the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and working towards attaining his Dive Master qualification.

He has also been working with Phillipe Rouja, the custodian of wrecks, on a project investigating the island’s fish ponds.

“I’m pretty nervous about getting my results right now,” he said. “But if everything goes well I hope to return to Bermuda after my studies and work on the island’s shipwrecks.

“It’s an area I’m really interested in and find fascinating.”

Xander, who lives in Paget, has been a member of the Boy’s Brigade for the last seven years and is also one of the youngest members of the Bermuda Islands Pipe Band.

“The Boy’s Brigade has been a lot of fun, and I have been able do some exciting activities for some really good causes. I grew up around music with my grandfather, dad and his brother all playing in the pipe band, so I started playing the bag pipes about three or four years ago.

“We get together every Wednesday to practise and we sounded the retreat at Harbour Nights recently.”