Past students, staff and friends of DCU were remembered at a special Memorial Scholarships event in The Helix at DCU today. Twenty-one students were presented with memorial scholarship awards named in honour of 14 individuals who have played a key role in the life of the University and in Irish society.
Amongst those honoured through memorial scholarships at the event were journalist Veronica Guerin, former Taoiseach Charles Haughey, leading businessman and philanthropist Dr Tim Mahony of Toyota Ireland and mountaineer Ger McDonnell who became the first Irish person to scale K2 in 2008.
Joe Quinsey, CEO of DCU Educational Trust told gathered attendees,
“This year we are awarding scholarships to 21 students whose talent and dedication are a tribute to those we remember today. The individuals remembered through our memorial scholarships shone brightly in their own lives and made a mark on society, so it is fitting that their legacy will be honoured and live on in the bright and gifted scholarship students assembled here today.”
The 21 scholarship recipients were selected based on their talent and dedication but also according to specific criteria set by scholarship donors. One scholarship, the Paddy J Wright Memorial Scholarship, also supports an outstanding Gaelic footballer who is involved with the DCU Sports Academy, and this year’s award went to Dublin senior footballer, Evan Comerford. Evan has been part of the winning All-Ireland Dublin football team since 2017, and has also picked up an All-Ireland title with Dublin’s u21 team and won the Sigerson Cup with DCU this year.
Fifteen scholarships were presented to undergraduate students supported by DCU’s Access Programme, which makes third level education accessible to students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and provides financial, academic and personal supports to help students succeed in their studies.
Speaking at the event, Kim Flood Roustan, a second year student on the BA in Marketing, Innovation and Technology from Coolock explained what it meant to her to receive the Volkswagen Group Ireland Stephen Moran Memorial Scholarship:
“I definitely wouldn’t be continuing my studies at DCU if it weren’t for the Access scholarship. For this, I’m so grateful to the generous people and organisations who fund scholarships for DCU Access students. I hope to someday be in a position to give back to the Access Programme so that more young people have the opportunity to get a university degree no matter what their situation in life might be.”
A further six scholarships were awarded to support students engaged in postgraduate research or study in fields as diverse as Law, Biotechnology, Marketing and Journalism.
The full list of Memorial Scholarship recipients for 2019/20 includes:
