Yale man urges young people in Derry to grab opportunity to attend world-famous US university

Young people in Derry got an opportunity this week to find out more about an ‘amazing’ opportunity at a world-famous US university.

Derry has been chosen to the pilot area for an initiative which will see up to six young people from the city being given the financial support to study at Yale University.

The young people will be drawn equally from Catholic and Protestant communities.

The students will have their university fees paid and the cost of the project has been estimated at £65,000 over the four-year period of study for those successful.

If successful in Derry, the project will be developed in other parts of Northern Ireland.

Keith Light, Associate Director of Admissions at Yale University, visited Derry to speak to local students about the university.

During his visit, Mr Light visited local secondary schools and also spoke at a special event in the Guildhall on Tuesday evening.

He stressed that he was not in Derry just to talk about Yale but wanted to highlight the experience that local students would enjoy if they chose to study in the US.

He said Yale attracted students from all over the world, and added that they would like to see more applicants from Ireland.

Mr Light said some young people may be daunted by travelling to the US but said he believed it was a chance worth taking.

“I often think that success comes from the courage of taking opportunities,” he said.

Mr Light praised those involved in the new initiative with Derry students and said Yale looked forward to welcoming the first batch of young people.

The initiative was the idea of Derry businessman Noel Gallagher who is now working with local schools and Co-Operation Ireland to make it a reality.

To qualify, the young people must come households with an annual income of less than £53,000.

Speaking at the Guildhall event on Tuesday, Peter Sheridan, chief executive of Co-Operation Ireland, said it was a wonderful opportunity for young people.

“We want all students to have the same opportunities no matter what their family situation is,” he said.

“Students from financially disadvantaged families could apply for a merit-based scholarship through the cross-community scheme that we propose.

“The initiative would begin with a pilot scheme in the city of Derry, with a merit-based scholarship to Yale University that may be awarded to four to six students evenly across community backgrounds.

“A simultaneous effort will be made to bring undergraduate students from Yale University to study in Derry, likely in one or more summer study programs.

“Our intention is to then broaden the cross-community scheme to include financially underprivileged students across Northern Ireland, with merit-based scholarships available to multiple, elite universities in the United States.”