€20,000 scholarship for two Cavan students

Two Cavan students have been awarded €20,000 each by the Naughton Foundation Scholarships.

Maheen Ahmed and Callum Kelly were among 37 students who accepted the scholarships in Trinity Business School on Saturday, October 15.

Maheen, formerly of Breifne College, is currently studying Computer Science in University College Dublin; while former St Patrick's College student, Callum, is studying Science in the same university.

Both prize winners' former schools were also awarded €1,000 each towards their school’s science facilities. More than 250 schools have also benefited from this prize to date with some schools receiving it on more than one occasion.

The award was presented by founding patrons of the Naughton Foundation, Dr Martin Naughton and his wife Carmel, who were joined by Simon Harris, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, to award winning students with their accolades and cheques.

Supporting academic and innovative excellence in Irish students, the Naughton Foundation Scholarship Awards are an investment in the future of Ireland's reputation as a country with outstanding graduates promoting the study of engineering, science, and technology at third level.

Since its establishment in 2008, scholarships worth over €6 million have been awarded to over 350 students. The scheme started in three counties and gradually expanded to become a nationwide scheme in 2016.

There is one guaranteed scholarship (€20,000) for each participating county, with some counties awarded more than one scholarship. Each scholarship is worth €5,000 per annum for each year of a student’s three- or four-year undergraduate degree.

Speaking about the growth and development of the programme over the past 14 years, Dr Martin Naughton said: “We started supporting students in their science and engineering studies in Louth, Meath, and Monaghan in 2008 to give back to our local area. We never imagined what a wonderful community of connected young people the Naughton Scholarship programme would become. Our Alumni are an incredible group working in the best universities, research institutes and businesses across the world.”