Two Letterkenny students receive Insight/Google Scholarships at Google HQ
Torin Laszcziw and Vuyiswas Mgwebeda were both delighted to pick up the accolade, as they were among 40 students from all over Ireland received scholarships to study STEM subjects at third level
Two ATU Donegal Letterkenny campus students have received Insight/Google Scholarships at Google HQ.
Torin Laszcziw and Vuyiswas Mgwebeda were both delighted to pick up the accolade, as they were among 40 students from all over Ireland received scholarships to study STEM subjects at third level. The scholarships were awarded by An Taoiseach Micheál Martin in a ceremony that was buzzing with ambition and energy.
These scholarships - funded by Google.org and coordinated by the Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics and DCU – will support students from underrepresented backgrounds to study subjects such as AI, cybersecurity and digital safety at one of 13 universities in Ireland.
Students receiving scholarships included members of the Traveller community, students who have been in the care of the state, students with disabilities and refugee students. A quarter are mature students returning to education.
Talking to students on the day it was clear that this support, which offers not just money but mentorship, will go a long way to helping these talented people to realise their career goals.
"This is such a great event!," says Torin, who lives in Letterkenny and will study Data Science and AI at Atlantic Technological University. "This scholarship takes the financial stress off my shoulders and gives me the freedom to focus on getting the best from my degree. I’m already making connections here today. I’m so grateful."
Vuyiswas is about to start a course in Data Science and AI at Atlantic Technological University: "I am a single mother of three children who are growing up in Letterkenny. I grew up in a small village in South Africa and I came here ten years ago with nothing but hope. In 2023 I did an access course in tech because I had looked at the Google website and saw that there were jobs in this area. Now I’m about to do a degree in Data Science and AI!"
These scholars will bring their talents and perspectives to a tech sector that needs them. As Taoiseach Micheal Martin put it on the day: "In an increasingly digitalised world, ensuring a strong pipeline of talent in STEM fields is paramount for the future sustainability of our society and economy. That is why I’m delighted to see programmes like this, supporting students in realising their talent and potential. For our part, the Government is focused on stepping up our efforts to fully realise the benefits of the digital and AI revolution to bring about positive change and ensuring the development and use of AI is ethical and responsible."
Professor Noel O’Connor, Insight CEO, said: "Insight’s education and public engagement vision is to empower critically aware, creative communities towards a better society for all. We believe this can only be achieved if we tackle societal inequalities in STEM education. Insight and Google are committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in AI and Digital Safety."
The Insight Scholarship Programme is the largest scholarship programme of its kind in Ireland. With a funding package of €1.5 million over five years, two cohorts of undergraduate students will receive scholarships to study in one of 230 STEM courses across 13 Irish universities. Applications for the second cohort of students will open in October 2025. Successful applicants will be awarded €5,000 per year, up to a maximum duration of five years.