A minister is trying to help young people who would normally not have the opportunity to get to college.

Rev. Emilygail Dill has established the Degrees of Excellence Scholarship fund to provide financial assistance to individuals who would be unable to attend college otherwise.

The money will be distributed to students who show good academic standing, financial need and efforts to improve themselves and their situation.

Rev. Dill told The Royal Gazette the inspiration behind the awards came when she saw "students with unusual promise'' abandoning dreams of going to college because of the financial inability.

"And when we began to help these kids, people became more honest and open and came to me saying `I wish my child could do that too' so we began the efforts on a larger scale,'' she explained.

Award recipients also will be provided with mentoring and career guidance to assist them in identifying their goals.

And Rev. Dill is hoping that most of the money is going to be raised in a telethon on August 13 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on ZFB-TV.

The theme for the event will be "Dollars for Scholars: A high yield investment with lifelong returns''.

The line-up for the event will include local music, poetry readings, dance, short interviews from leaders in different segments of society who are striving to make a difference.

The Degrees of Excellence Scholarship is an initiative of the Higher Visions Student Internship Team which Rev. Dill created in response to a need for additional summer employment opportunities for students.

The team conducted a study of existing data with regard to higher education in Bermuda, employment and funding sources which revealed that a larger segment of the population were still unable to complete their educational goals due to inadequate funding.

And in a random survey of 284 people, they found that 91 percent of these individuals were desirous of pursuing further education, but were hindered from doing so due to financial constraints.

It was also discovered that many Bermudians began post-secondary programmes, but were unable to complete them due to lack of finances.

Rev. Dill is currently completing her Master of Divinity degree at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

She received a Bachelor's degree in English and Secondary education from Spellman College where she later became Dean of the Chapel.

Reflecting on her experience as a female minister she said she was met by both skepticism and support.

"Despite obvious opposition displayed by some individuals, I was blessed enough to have a support base within my local congregation and other persons who believed in me,'' she said.

And she said one of the most influential people in her life was Rev. Dr. Ella Parson Mitchell, who she came in contact with at Spellman.

Rev. Dill's impressive resume includes her experience as the chairman of the Board of Christian Education for AME Churches in Bermuda and the chairman for AME Women in Ministry in both Bermuda and New York.

And Rev. Dill told The Royal Gazette one of the highlights in her career was when she was US coordinator for the Ecumenical Decade for Women for the World Council of Churches.

With that position Rev. Dill was responsible for launching the Ecumenical Decade in the US in 1988.

"Initially the decade arose out of the findings of the United Nations decade for women, but dealt with the sexist ideology of the church,'' she said.

In another remarkable accomplishment, Rev. Dill recently had one of her sermons published in a periodical called Those Preaching Women, which features outstanding women preachers in the US.

Rev. Dill said the basis of her faith came from her Christian upbringing.

As a young girl, she became a member of the Youth Choir at Mount Zion AME Church in Southampton which she later directed.

Now, Rev. Dill is married to Rev. Howard Dill of St. John's AME Church in Hamilton Parish and helping the youth while continuing to improve herself.

For further information about the telethon or the Degrees of Excellence Scholarship call Rev. Dill at 293-2787.

Applications for the Degree of Excellence awards are available at Llewries Photo Shop and Studio and True Reflections in Hamilton.