AMBITIOUS students in Donegal can achieve their employment dreams with help form a scholarship that was set up to assist students to finance third-level education.
Queen’s University of Belfast has announced that the first scholarship beneficiaries have graduated – and two are from Donegal.
Among the highflying new graduates is the very first scholarship recipient Connor Allison, from Ramelton, who graduated with a degree in Biochemistry.
Also graduating this week was Hannah Lynch, from Carndonagh, who completed a degree in Human Biology and is going on to study for a Master’s in Cancer Medicine.
The scholarship was sponsored by Optum Ireland, which has been present in Ireland since 1999, and is a major employer in Letterkenny and provides an economic boost to the region.
It has 650 employees across the country.
In 2018, Optum Ireland established the Optum Healthcare Scholarship Program in partnership with Letterkenny IT (formerly LYIT), that is now the Atlantic Technological University (ATU). It was revealed that two of the first recipients of its Optum Healthcare Regional Scholarship Programme are from Carndonagh and Ramleton.
The successes of both Connor and Hannah can give hope to all young people who wish to pursue further education, thanks to the Optum Healthcare Regional Scholarship Programme, it was claimed.
The scholarship frees up time for an internship and takes the pressure off to work lots of part-time hours.
Connor revealed that Queen’s was always his first choice of university, but he thought that costs may have put uni out of reach.
He said: “I had originally decided that university was out of reach, even though my mum had told me not to worry about finances and that we would figure out something. When I heard about the scholarship, I thought that it was a long shot, but it encouraged my pursuit of further education.”
He added: “The bursary has helped me significantly, allowing me to focus on my final year of studies without the stress of part-time jobs.
“The scholarship has allowed me to prioritise my studies and contributed to my enjoyment and success throughout my studies at Queen’s University.
“The financial security allowed me to pursue an unpaid internship, allowing me to build my career.
“Being awarded a scholarship can be a real confidence boost, motivating students to live up to the investment that’s been placed in them. It has had a major positive impact on my studies.”
Hannah feared the financial challenges of a third-level education would prevent her dreams of a future in medicine and healthcare.
She said: “Pursuing a career in healthcare had been an ambition of mine for as long as I can remember, so higher education was always part of that journey.
“Queen’s was always my preferred choice.
“However, the financial commitment of moving away from home and covering accommodation and living costs would have been extremely challenging.
“The scholarship played a major role in allowing me to choose the path I truly wanted rather than making a decision based on financial considerations.”
She added: “For many students, scholarships not only support an education, but create opportunities and open doors that can shape the course of their future.
“The scholarship has had a genuinely life-changing impact on my education and future career and I am incredibly grateful for the confidence Optum placed in me from the very beginning.”
Optum senior project manager Bridie O’Grady said: “Optum is incredibly proud of our Queen’s University scholarship students, Connor and Hannah.
“Supporting talented young people to pursue their ambitions is something we deeply value as an organisation, and we are honoured to play a small part in their journey. Congratulations to you both on this achievement.”
Optum in Letterkenny is a major contributor to the local economy thanks to its employment of local workers and commitment to events as the Donegal Half Marathon and sponsoring leisure wear.