Student Scholarships Awards

The Council's 2007 Student Scholarships Awards Presented In New York

The Council's Student Work Experience Scholarships for 2007 were presented at a luncheon meeting held in New York City. Also at the lunch, the Chairman of the Belfast Harbour Commissioners, Len O'Hagan delivered a keynote address describing the positive economic outlook for Northern Ireland. Council-member Invest Northern Ireland was a sponsor of the lunch.

Council President Michael J. Gibbons, presenting the scholarship awards at the event at The River Club in Manhattan, said "The Council's Scholarship Awards program provides opportunities to student undergraduates from universities in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland to travel to the United States and to work temporarily in American corporations. As has been the case in previous years of this program, the scholarships provide project-oriented, meaningful work assignments in U.S. business corporations of all sizes. The assignments are directly linked to the fields of study and academic disciplines which the undergraduate scholars are pursuing in Ireland."

Mr. Gibbons also noted "The Council cherishes its established links to universities and educational institutions through this scholarship program. To the extent that future economic and social development is influenced significantly by the quality of education, the Council's participation in this program reflects its interest in underlining the excellent educational infrastructure which has been developed throughout the island of Ireland."

The Council partners with Fordham University on this program for those Council Scholars based in New York City. These are accommodated in the residence halls of the Lincoln Center campus of the college during their time here. During the lunch, the Dean of Students at Fordham University, Dr. John Kezel addressed the group and discussed the Council's separate other program of internship placements for U.S.-based postgraduate scholars in corporations in Ireland.

Mr. Gibbons added "The Council, for its part, provides a cash award toward each student's travel expenses. The project-oriented employment assignments, which the Council arranges for the students, enhance their learning experiences in America, linked as they are to their field of study. We are indebted to the Universities in Ireland and in Northern Ireland for their support and assistance in mounting this program."

The students selected by their colleges as the Council's 2007 participating scholars:

• Kevin Mooney is from Dublin and is enrolled at University College Dublin studying for a Business and Legal Studies Degree. He traveled to New York City to take up his appointment to work at Mutual of America in the Big Apple;
• Linda McAlinden hails from Newry County Down and is currently in a three-year joint honors degree in economics and accounting at Queen's University in Belfast. Linda was based at Allied Irish Banks in New York;
• William Aherne is a native Dubliner and is a student at Trinity College Dublin where he is studying for a degree in Business. He worked at the world headquarters of News Corporation in New York;
• Peter O'Toole whose home is in Ballinasloe, County Galway, was chosen by NUI Galway to participate as a Council Scholar this year. He is pursuing a science degree in chemistry and was based during his scholarship term in Pennsylvania at Merck & Company;
• Richard O'Connor, from Cork, is studying chemistry at University College Cork. He was selected to work with Pfizer, Inc. in New York City.