Mitchell Scholars announced for 2011
By Melissa Turtinen
Senator George J. Mitchell was the chairman behind the peace negotiations in Northern Ireland that led to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. This historic event brought together the governments of Ireland and the United Kingdom to help the political parties of Northern Ireland cement a peace accord.
The US-Ireland Alliance was formed in 1998 as a non-partisan, non-profit and proactive organization “dedicated to consolidating existing relations between the United States and Ireland – North and South – and building that relationship for the future,” reads the US-Ireland Alliance Web site.
The Alliance developed the George J. Mitchell Scholars Program eleven years ago and named it for Senator Mitchell’s peace achievements. “It is designed to introduce and connect generations of future American leaders to the island of Ireland, while recognizing and fostering intellectual achievement, leadership and a commitment to public service and community,” according to the Web site.
Up to 12 Mitchell Scholars between the ages of 18 and 30 are chosen every year for a one-year postgraduate study, in any field offered at various institutions in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Candidates for the scholarship are judged on academic excellence, leadership and a sustained commitment to service and community. Those who are chosen are provided tuition, housing, a living stipend and an international travel stipend.
Funding for the scholarships come from the U.S. Department of State’s Education and Cultural Affairs Bureau, the Northern Ireland Department for Employment and Learning, Becton Dickinson, Bombardier Aerospace Foundation, Cross Atlantic Capital Partners and the universities that the students attend.
This year’s recipients came from various places and differing backgrounds. Each of the nine students will attend a university for a year, pending final approval from those universities.
University of Georgia student, Stephen Dorner, authorized an amendment to the health reform legislation that was recently passed by the House of Representatives. Dorner will be attending Trinity College Dublin for Global Health.
DartmouthCollege senior, Ibrahim Elshamy, has worked with rural students and urban neighborhoods. Elshamy will study Peace and Conflict Studies at UlsterUniversity.
US NavalAcademy physicist and Trident Scholar, Kyle Englund-Krieger, was honored as the nation’s top collegiate cyclist. Englund-Krieger is attending DublinCity University for International Security and Conflict Studies.
Georgetown Law School Public Interest Law Scholar, Joseph Graziano, ran a program (Beisbol y Libros or Baseball and Books) in the Dominican Republic after a career as a varsity baseball player. Graziano will study Political Science and Sociology at the National University of Ireland in Galway.
StanfordUniversity alum, Fagan Harris, is leading an educational non-profit in California that serves at-risk youths. Harris will be attending the University of Limerick for Sociology.
Vietnam Luce Scholar, Yongjun Heo, founded and leads Pemon Health, an NGO receiving funding from the Clinton Global Initiative, Wal-mart Foundation and Project Pericles Foundation. Heo is attending the University College Dublin for Public Health.
Award-winning author and teacher, Deirdre Mask, is also a lawyer with clerkships at the district and appellate levels. Mask will study Writing at the National University of Ireland in Galway.
NYPD analyst Ryan Merola will be studying Violence, Terrorism and Security at Queen’s University in Belfast.
Purple Heart recipient and senior at the US Naval Academy, Steven Sifuentes, mentors other Midshipmen in preparation to lead in combat. Sifuentes will be attending NationalUniversity in Maynooth for Military History and Strategic Studies.
These scholars were selected from an application process that drew nearly 300 applications from over 150 universities and colleges across the nation. The final step of the process was an interview on November 21 before a selection committee. The committee included Ireland’s Ambassador to the U.S., Michael Collins, two 2001 Mitchell Scholar recipients, Internet gurus and company CEOs and presidents.
