Concordia Maritime (Bermuda) Ltd has awarded two students with scholarships to assist them with maritime studies overseas.

The company allocates a total of $10,000 in scholarship funds each year. This year’s recipients are Lamar Samuels and Andre Durham.

Angelique Burgess, general manager for Concordia Maritime (Bermuda), said the scholarship committee wished the two awardees “much success in their academic endeavours”.

Mr Samuels will study a foundation degree in marine engineering at South Tyneside College, in England. He has been awarded a three-year scholarship and his first award will be $2,750.

During the past three years he has been employed as a watch leader on the Spirit of Bermuda, where he gained work experience and completed several international voyages and local charters.

He stated that his time working on the Spirit has helped him to develop professionally and he had an opportunity to receive excellent seaman’s training that he believes will assist him in his studies.

Andre Durham will be pursuing higher education and looking to gain a qualification that will assist his career goal of starting his own charter business. He will commence the associate in applied science in the nautical science programme at Northeastern Maritime Institute, Massachusetts, next month.

For the past three years he has been employed on board the charter fishing vessel Hakuna Matata as a first mate and overseas on the fishing vessel Vitamin Sea. He will receive a one-time award of $2,000.

Previous students Joshua Santucci-Smith was awarded a three-year scholarship in 2016 and is attending the University of Tampa and Alexander Cook was awarded a three-year scholarship last year and is studying at Cardiff University.

Other than supplying funds to students, the scholarship committee provides mentorship to the recipients throughout the duration of their scholarship. The committee consists of Ms Burgess, Catharine Lymbery, Taran Card and Mario Thompson.