Class of 2012 George J. Mitchell Scholars Selected - US

2010
2800 Clarendon Boulevard
Suite 502
Arlington, Virginia 22201
Web www.us-irelandalliance.org
Year in Review
Class of 2012 George J. Mitchell Scholars Selected
Photos by Carol Clayton
Deputy Ambassador Dominick Chilcott & Mitchell finalists
In November, we capped a weekend of events with the
selection of twelve Mitchell Scholars who will pursue a
year of post-graduate study at universities on the island
of Ireland in the academic year 2011-2012. In addition to
the finalists, the weekend of events was attended by nearly 30% of our alums, strong evidence of their continuing
connection to the program and the island of Ireland.
Trina Vargo
President
[email protected]
The alums met with Melody Barnes, President Obama’s
Director of Domestic Policy. Melody spoke with the
Mitchells about a range of issues including the President’s domestic agenda, the impact of the recent elections, her job at the White House, and what motivates
her personally, including her faith. Melody and Alliance president, Trina Vargo, were colleagues in Senator
Jennie LaMonte
Managing Director, Mitchell Scholarships
[email protected]
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Year in Review
Trina Vargo & Melody Barnes
Duke Special, Laurel Shroyer Porter, Jane Chilcott
Sam Yates & Michael Kahn
Maria Jose Rivera, Jose Canto, Jennie LaMonte
at the Irish-owned Dupont Hotel. The Belfast
singer-songwriter had the audience singing
along well into the night. The Mitchell Scholars
are long-time fans of Duke Special who performed for them in Belfast in 2008, at an event
marking the tenth anniversary of the Northern
Ireland peace agreement. He also performed at
the Alliance’s annual Oscar Wilde event in Los
Angeles.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Ivanley Noisette, Katie Boyle
Kennedy’s office and Melody spoke about that
shared experience and the lessons they learned
from Senator Kennedy.
Britain’s Deputy Ambassador to the US, Dominick Chilcott and his wife, Jane, hosted a reception for the finalists at their northwest Washington residence. Guests included Mitchell alums,
members of the selection committee, Capitol
Hill staffers, and State Department officials.
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Later that evening, the Northern Ireland Bureau hosted a performance by Duke Special,
The selection committee met on Saturday to
interview and select recipients. The selection
committee included: Dr. Ehrin Armstrong,
Mitchell Scholar class of ‘02 and cardiology fellow at the University of California, San Francisco; John P. Brown, Jr., Associate Director in the
Office of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities; Dominick
Chilcott, Britain’s Deputy Ambassador to the
United States; Michael Kahn, Artistic Director
of the Shakespeare Theatre Company; Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Senior Vice President
at Rock Creek; Michael McElroy, professor
of Atmospheric Sciences and the first Director
of the Center for the Environment at Harvard
University; James C. Mullen, former President
and CEO of Biogen Idec.
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Year in Review
John Brown, Jr., Michael McElroy, Anise Vance
Dell & Tula Pendergrast, Melissa Boteach
Jim Mullen & Skip Rutherford
Chelsea Caveny & Monica Bell
David Gobaud, John Kenny, Adam Harbison
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Ehrin Armstrong & Jennifer Lambert
Derick Stace-Naughton & Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI)
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Year in Review
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Mohit Agrawal,
West Lafayette, IN,
Princeton University
Mohit Agrawal, of West Lafayette, Indiana, will graduate
from Princeton University with
a major in mathematics and
certificates in applied mathematics and computer science. He traveled to Ghana after receiving
Princeton’s Martin Dale Summer Fellowship
and led an Engineers Without Borders team,
which designed and built a community library
at a school. Mohit later served as co-president
of Engineers Without Borders — Princeton and
was responsible for projects in three countries.
Last spring, Mohit studied applied mathematics at the National University of Singapore.
In addition, he has received the de Kármán
undergraduate Fellowship for excellence and
was elected early to Phi Beta Kappa. His professional goal is to formulate economic policy
at the World Bank, United Nations Development Program, or the Treasury. He will study
Economic Policy Evaluation and Planning at
National University of Ireland, Galway.
David Gobaud,
Las Vegas, NV,
Stanford University
David Gobaud graduated with
a major in Computer Science
from Stanford. During his
term as Study Body President,
he founded Students for Relief in Haiti, created a national student Haiti fundraiser that
was joined by 27 partners and has raised over
$450,000. Last summer David worked as an
Eben Tisdale Fellow at the E-Luminate Group
where he researched the integration of teaching and assessing 21st century skills into the
US K-12 education system. He now interns at
the White House Council of Economic Advisors where his computer science skills are being
used to increase efficiency. Interested in the
restorative justice approach Northern Ireland
has taken to youth criminal justice, David will
study Human Rights in Criminal Justice at
Queen’s University, Belfast. He then plans to
become a public defender before addressing
criminal justice reform and pursuing broader
change through elected office.
Chelsea Caveny,
Hattiesburg, MS,
University of Mississippi
Chelsea Caveny is a native
Mississippian who studies
Public Policy Leadership and
Southern Studies at the University of Mississippi. She is a Truman Scholar and
Lott Leadership Scholar and has spent the past
two years working with the Sunflower County
Freedom Project, a non-profit in the Mississippi
Delta. At the Freedom Project she has worked
as a teacher, mentor, and fundraiser and established a permanent internship with the Freedom
Project through her university. In Sunflower,
Chelsea learned the importance of culture and
its role in policy making. She has learned about
the importance of place in shaping policy while
studying in Port Elizabeth, South Africa under
anti-apartheid activists. She is interested in
education reform within her home state and
has been active in the charter school debate,
testifying before the state legislature. Chelsea
will pursue a degree in Community Education,
Equality and Social Activism at National University of Ireland, Maynooth.
Elizabeth Katz,
Thomasville, GA,
University of Georgia
Elizabeth Katz is a summa cum
laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Georgia
with majors in Mathematics,
Spanish, and Religion. While there, she tutored
immigrant students and volunteered as a Spanish Language Interpreter for the school district,
leading her to create and distribute a Bilingual
Directory of Social Services. Betsy was a leader
in various student organizations, including the
Ramsey Scholar program, where she founded
its Student Advisory Council, and the Presbyterian Student Center, where she served as
student minister and member of the Board of
Directors. Committed to increasing opportunities for the underprivileged in the US, she
teaches secondary mathematics in Richmond,
California, through Teach For America (TFA).
A leader in the TFA region, she facilitates conversations about race and diversity within the
corps. She will pursue a degree in Intercultural
Studies at Dublin City University.
Katheryn Marcum,
Huttonsville, WV,
West Virginia Wesleyan
College
Katheryn Marcum will graduate in May with an Honors degree in English Literature from
West Virginia Wesleyan College. She has lived
in the West Virginia Highlands her entire life
and is deeply committed to the advancement
of the region and its people. She is especially
interested in the education and encouragement
of children from the area and spent her summer as an AmeriCorps Energy Express Mentor,
working to combat the effects of generational
poverty on children in her own community.
Katheryn is interested in furthering the study
of Appalachian literature and culture through
contemporary comparisons with Irish roots.
Her long-term goals include obtaining a Ph.D.
in Irish Literature and Culture, and teaching
— educating others about the vibrancy of Irish
people and the strength of her Appalachian
roots. She will study Anglo-Irish Literature and
Drama at University College Dublin.
Mohammad Modarres,
Portland, OR,
Johns Hopkins University
Mohammad Modarres studies
Public Health and Anthropology at Johns Hopkins University where his research focuses
on how to restructure US sanctions polices to
give international citizen sector organizations
greater ability to provide public health resources to the Iranian people and ultimately to create
diplomatic dialogue between the US and Iran.
He was named a Bloomberg Scholar at Johns
Hopkins University. His interest in using sport
and the arts for social development sent him to
South Africa, to help FIFA’s Football for Hope
initiative provide youth communities access to
health and educational services through football/soccer. A published political cartoonist,
his artwork will be displayed in the permanent
collection of the 9/11 Museum at Ground Zero.
He will study Development Practice at University College Dublin.
Jessica Moldovan,
New York, NY,
Yale College
Jessica Moldovan, a senior
at Yale, is an early Phi Beta
Kappa inductee majoring
in History. She is a founder
and editor of the Yale Historical Review and
Vice-President of Yale’s Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society. Jessica traveled to Prague,
Warsaw, Krakow, and Budapest to investigate
the effects of Communist rule on the religious
and cultural identity of the younger generation
of Jews in those regions. She is also committed to women’s rights activism. She is president
of the Reproductive Rights Action League.
As Co-Director of Community Health Educators, Jessica coordinates the largest student
volunteer organization at Yale comprised of
over 150 members, which provides a comprehensive health curriculum to approximately
2,200 students in New Haven public schools.
Jessica will study women’s rights movements in
Europe, focusing on Ireland and reproductive
rights. She will pursue a degree in Gender and
Women’s Studies at Trinity. 2010
Year in Review
Ivanley Noisette,
Philadelphia, PA,
Villanova University &
Clinton School of
Public Service
Ivanley Noisette is obtaining an
M.P.S. at the William J. Clinton
School of Public Service. He earned a B.A. in
Political Science from Villanova while serving
as editor-in-chief of The Culture Magazine.
He worked as a consultant with the Arkansas Community Foundation and as a member
of the editorial staff at the Oxford American
Magazine. After the earthquake in Haiti,
Ivanley established the Hope for Haiti project
and collaborated with the Clinton Foundation
and the American Red Cross to raise funds for
relief efforts. Last summer, he worked with
Bridge2Rwanda, the Ministry of Education in
Kigali, Rwanda, and Angel’s Heart, to develop
a sustainable work and education program for
‘street children’. Currently, he is working with
Catholic Relief Services in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
and will launch a community revitalization
project in the town of Savanette in the spring.
He will study Human Rights Law and Transitional Justice at the University of Ulster.
Derick Stace-Naughton,
Madison, WI,
Georgetown University
Derick Stace-Naughton, of
Madison, Wisconsin, majors in
Physics and English at Georgetown University. Through the
Physics Department’s Program on Science in
the Public Interest, Derick began extensive
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work with federal healthcare policy affecting
Americans with genetic coagulation conditions.
Derick formed Students for the Awareness of
Bleeding Disorders and has advocated extensively for the bleeding disorders community.
His efforts ultimately led to the introduction
of a concurrent resolution and a bill to the US
House of Representatives. Derick seeks to study
the healthcare systems on the island of Ireland.
He plans to continue shaping national health
policy as a federal legislator. He will pursue and
M.Sc. in Health Communication at the University of Ulster.
Kathryn Van Winkle,
Austin TX,
Swarthmore College
A graduate of Swarthmore
College with highest honors
in Theater and Sociology/Anthropology, Katie Van Winkle
pursued a post-graduate dramaturgy fellowship
at Baltimore’s CENTERSTAGE. As an actor,
director, and dramaturg, she has collaborated
on over fifty theatrical productions with innovative theater companies such as Austin’s
Rude Mechanicals and Poland’s Stary Teatr.
She is co-founder and artistic director of AD
HOC, a new ensemble theater in Philadelphia.
She received a grant from the Literary Managers & Dramaturgs of the Americas to develop
a collaborative script database and archive
for theater professionals and scholars. As an
AmeriCorps volunteer in her hometown of
Austin, Texas, she’s combating educational
inequity, working with Spanish-speaking
kindergarteners, at-risk teenagers as a Theatre
Action Project Teaching Artist, and low-income
adults as a Free Minds Project volunteer. She
will study Drama and Theatre at the National
University of Ireland, Galway.
Anise Vance, Weston, MA,
Dartmouth College
Anise Vance is a senior Geography major at Dartmouth
College. Interested in issues of
identity and the construction
of urban spaces, Anise spent
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this past summer researching the links between
racial identity formation and residential segregation in Hartford, CT. At Dartmouth, he has
served the college’s student body as an Undergraduate Advisor and Dean’s Office Student
Consultant. Anise also served on the AfroAmerican Society’s Executive Board, sat on
the Inter-Community Council, was part of the
Multi-Faith Council, and served as the Student
Director of the Office of Religious and Spiritual
Life. Anise is most proud of his involvement in
the Summer Enrichment at Dartmouth program
for under-resourced high school students and
in Dartmouth’s First-Year Student Enrichment
Program for first-generation college students.
Interested in the issue of space in Belfast, he
will study Human Geography at Queen’s.
Samuel Yates,
Newburgh, IN,
Centre College
Samuel Yates studies English
Literature and Dramatic Arts
at Centre College, where he is
researching the socio-cultural
construction of the personal identity onstage
and completing a stage adaptation of Chuck
Palahniuk’s Haunted as a John C. Young Scholar. He has served as an actor, director, and
dramaturg for over twenty college and regional
theatre productions. His interest in making
the performing arts accessible in everyday life
has led him to teach Shakespeare and drama
in Kentucky public schools and area youth
programs. Sam recently worked as a writer’s
assistant and assistant dramaturg for the 2010
Eugene O’Neill Theater Center National Music
Theater and Playwrights Conferences, where
he helped research and develop works with
playwrights such as Alfred Uhrey, Paul Oakley
Stovall, Carrie Barrett, and Yaroslava Pulinovich. He currently sits on the reader’s committee
for the upcoming O’Neill season. He will study
Theatre and Performance at Trinity.
Saoirse Ronan, Seamus McGarvey and J.J.
Abrams Honored at Fifth Annual “Oscar Wilde:
Honoring The Irish In Film”
In February, at the Ebell of Los Angeles, we
honored actress Saoirse Ronan, cinematographer Seamus McGarvey, and producer, writer,
director, J.J. Abrams at the fifth annual “Oscar Wilde: Honoring the Irish in Film” preAcademy Awards party. Tom Cruise presented
Abrams with his award. Brían F. O’Byrne
presented to Saoirse Ronan who accepted via
video, as she was filming in Europe. Author
Colum McCann presented to Seamus McGarvey. Irish band Bell X1 and LA-based Jupiter
Rising entertained the crowd of 400 people
at the popular party created to bring together
people in the entertainment industries in the US
and Ireland.
Emcee Colum McCann best summarized the
evening when he said, “Tonight is a night where
we honor the fact that our borders are expansive. But really, quite honestly, I also heard this
is the best damn party in Hollywood.”
Tom Cruise, who spoke warmly of his time
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Year in Review
filming in Ireland, said it is definitely befitting to
honor J.J. Abrams as an ‘honorary Irishman’ because, “as a human being no one could ask for
a better friend and as a filmmaker, he doesn’t
see borders.” J.J. spoke effusively about his family’s recent visit to Ireland. He told the audience,
“If you haven’t been to Ireland, please God go.
Go right now.” He told a funny story of losing
his wallet in the west of Ireland. Miraculously,
someone found it, Googled him, and called his
agent in Los Angeles. When J.J. went to collect
the wallet, the Irish policewoman offered up the
lost wallet in exchange for him telling her the
ending of his popular tv series Lost.
Brían F. O’Byrne talked about Saoirse Ronan
who was the first recipient of the event’s “Wilde
Card,” given to a rising talent in the film
industry. Brían noted that Saoirse has already
been nominated for Oscar and Golden Globe
awards. He said that “in all walks of life, no
matter what the occupation, a candidate will
walk into a room and everyone will know
photos by Alberto Rodriguez,
Getty Images
Bell X1
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Barney Burman
Brian F. O’Byrne & Elaine Cassidy
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Dana Delany
J.J. Abrams & Tom Cruise
James Morris, Dick Cook, Martin Mansergh, Eugene Downes
Darragh O’Connell & Nicky Phelan
Juanita Wilson, James Flynn, Igor Sigov, Juliette Kazakevih
J.J. Abrams & Seamus McGarvey
Jupiter Rising
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Katie, Tom, Trina, Colum
Michael Giacchino & Richie Baneham
‘yeah, that’s the one.’ He called the 15 year-old,
whom he had known as a baby, the ‘real deal’.
Seamus McGarvey told of filming in Botswana
with the late director Anthony Minghella, where
they were introduced on a daytime talk show as
Anthony Mandela and Seamus Mugabe. Trina
noted that Seamus captured the mission of the
organization and the event with his comment
that “in cinema and in art, there is no nation
but the imagination.”
Tribute was also played to those no longer with
us. McCann referred to the passing of Roy
Disney, Irish Times film critic Michael Dwyer,
Hollywood reporter Steve Brennan, and author
Frank McCourt. Ireland’s Minister of State
Martin Mansergh and McCann both also referred to the loss of Senator Ted Kennedy who
was such a great champion of Ireland and so
very involved with the US-Ireland Alliance.
In his uniquely eloquent way, Colum put the
evening and the US-Ireland Alliance and the
event in perspective: “The function of storytelling is that we find the better part of ourselves, even despite the evidence to the contrary. We tell stories — in films and in books — in
order to keep ourselves going. That’s an innate
part of everyone’s character, but something the
Irish do particularly well. As Irish people, we
belong to a sort of intimate everywhere. It’s no
longer silence, exile and cunning. The U.S Ireland Alliance has its finger on a very important
pulse and their George Mitchell scholarships are
one of the great opportunities for young American scholars. They expand the world and at the
same time allow the local to be very important. It’s as if the walls get removed and everyone
can start roaming around.” Abrams called the
Mitchell Scholarship program ‘genius’.
Mindy Hall
Others in attendance included former Walt
Disney Studios Chairman, Dick Cook; Irish
Film Board Chairman, James Morris; Culture Ireland CEO, Eugene Downes; Abram’s
producing partner at Bad Robot, Bryan Burk;
Anton Yelchin; Dana Delaney; Patrick Bergin;
Elaine Cassidy; Flora Montgomery; Samantha
Mumba; and Richard Chamberlain. Oscar
nominees on hand included: Peter Devlin,
Michael Giacchino, Richie Baneham, Daniel
Junge, Barney Burman, Mindy Hall, Chris Innis, Mark Stoeckinger, Roger Guyett, and the
Irish Oscar nominated teams: Octagon Films,
nominated for The Door; Brown Bag Films for
Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty; and Cartoon Saloon for The Secret of Kells. And once
again proving that the luck of the Irish accompanies the event, five of our guests went on to
win that other Oscar a few nights later:
Richie Baneham-Visual Effects, Avatar
Barney Burman & Mindy Hall-Make-up, Star Trek
Michael Giacchino-Original Score, Up
Chris Innis-Film Editing, Hurt Locker
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Year in Review
Activities Of The Mitchell Scholars,
Class of 2010
In Belfast
Mitchell Scholars Director, Jennie LaMonte,
traveled to Northern Ireland to meet with the
Scholars in February. In Belfast, the group met
with US Consul-General Kamala Lakhdhir as
well as Kevin Roland and Peter McKittrick.
Scholars had the opportunity to to learn about
the Northern Ireland economy and developments
regarding devolution of policing and justice.
With Sir Reg Empey
A favorite activity of Mitchell Scholars is a
“murals tour” tour of Belfast, which is led
by Dominic Bryan, of Queen’s University.
In addition to seeing murals, Scholars were
able to have a vital discussion of identity and
cross-community opportunities, particularly as
regards schools and integrated education.
With Kevin Roland & Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir
The Scholars were guests at the “Peace Lines
and Lyrics” concert at Stormont, sponsored
by the David Ervine Foundation. They had
an opportunity to hear a discussion between
former republican and loyalist paramilitaries.
They also heard Dawn Purvis talk about the
role of facilitating cross-community communication. Gerry Creen and Benita Hill, singersongwriters, provided musical contributions to
the discussion.
At Stormont, they attended David Ford’s press
conference announcing his interest in becoming Minister for Policing and Justice. Scholars
enjoyed following up on this experience in an
informal discussion with Ford, the Leader of
the Alliance Party. He was candid and forthcoming about his concerns and aspirations.
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Sir Reg Empey, then Leader of the UUP, stressed
the importance of individual relationships they
form as Scholars. He asked that they cultivate
and nourish relationships over time, building
economic, educational, and cultural ties over
the long term.
With Sammy Leslie at Castle Leslie
After a tour of the Ulster-American Folk Park,
they visited Castle Leslie, in County Monaghan,
an estate that straddles the border. The area
witnessed its share of tension during the
Troubles but the estate is a locus of economic
activity today. Not only does the Castle serve as
a destination, but the estate is also an essential
element in the economic life of the community,
from the cookery school, equestrian center, and
hospitality business to the integrated constructed wetlands, agricultural enterprises, and is a
center for cross-border regeneration efforts. Sir
John and Sammy Leslie were welcoming and
gracious hosts.
The official program concluded with a reception in the Scholars’ honor held at the Ambassador’s residence. Guests included members of
the Irish Northern Ireland, and US delegations
to the EU, as well as young Irish leaders.
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Year in Review
Adam Harbison was a member of the Queen’s
Conservatives Society in Belfast and was invited
by the Conservatives and UUP to attend the NI
Leaders Debate on BBC Northern Ireland during
the Westminister elections campaign. Adam got
to ask a question and meet those in attendance.
At Giants Causeway
In Brussels
Mitchell Scholars were guests of the Irish
Permanent Representation to the EU, thanks
to an invitation from Irish Ambassador Rory
Montgomery, who helped them to understand
the EU and its importance to Ireland. Scholars
enjoyed two days of briefings and conversations
with officials and members of delegations at the
European Union.
After a brief welcome and orientation, they met
with Irish MEPs Alan Kelly, Sean Kelly, Marian
Harkin. They then attended the session of the
Plenary Chamber for votes.
A lunch was hosted by US Deputy Head of
Mission, Christopher Murray. They then enjoyed an official tour of the European Commission before meeting with Jillian Van Turnhout,
Irish Representative on the European Economic
and Social Committee and Chief Executive of
the Children’s Rights Alliance. They also visited
the EPC Think Tank as guests of Antonio Missiroli, Director of Studies.
The Scholars’ second day in Brussels began
with further discussions with the Irish Permanent Representation. This was followed by
meetings with Rebecca Pugh, Desk Officer,
DG RELEX — US and Canada Unit and Heidi
Lougheed, Director of EU Affairs at the Irish
Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC).
Adam Harbison with David Trimble
In April, Mitchell Scholars attended the UKpremiere of Belfast playwright Marie Jones’s
latest play, “Rock Doves,” at the Belfast
Waterfront Centre. The play follows a cast
of four damaged characters — an alcoholic
squatter (played by Adrian Dunbar), an aging
prostitute, her transvestite brother, and a young
boy who claims to be a ranking loyalist paramilitary forced into hiding. Set on the outskirts
of present-day Belfast, the tone and setting are
quite different from Jones’s Olivier award-winning “Stones in His Pockets”, but her examination of life on the fringe proves poignant to a
time of economic crisis. After the show, Adrian
Dunbar and director Ian McElhinney joined
the Mitchell scholars for dinner and post-play
discussion.
That afternoon, they met with Noel Griffin in
the Office of the Northern Ireland Executive,
and Robert Collins, Head of the Irish Regions
Office, Committee of the Regions as well as
their host, Ambassador Montgomery, and Noel
White, of the Council Secretariat.
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Scholars & Adrian Dunbar
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President Mary McAleese Honors Tenth Class
of Mitchell Scholars
In June, Irish President Mary McAleese was
the guest of honor at a reception marking the
graduation of George J. Mitchell Scholars at
Farmleigh in Dublin.
Trina welcomed guests and thanked the members of the Oireachtas for the spring passage of
legislation that will see the Irish Government
contribute to a permanent endowment for the
scholarship program.
In her remarks to the Scholars and the guests
in attendance, President McAleese celebrated
not only this year’s twelve graduates but the
more than 100 who have preceded them, “all
of whom have flown the flag of the George
Mitchell Scholarships and who have become
unofficial ambassadors for the United States
in Ireland and ambassadors for Ireland in the
United States.”
photos by Patrick Bolger
Aine Kilroy, Paul O’Brien, Senator Fidelma Healy Eames
Erica Camp, Sarang Shah, Tom Boland
Conor O’Clery, Sean MacCartaigh, Zhanna O’Clery
Heather Cagney, Christina Faust, Richard Forde, Tom Hayes,
Shane Colvin
Damian Farrell & Neil Ferron
Jennie LaMonte, Dr. Garret FitzGerald, Jimmy Deenihan
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Joe Joyce, Don Buckley, Joe O’Malley
Michael Solis, Andrea Laidman, Eoin O Suilleabhain
John Hennessy-Niland
Paul Gardiner & Ruairi Quinn
Jonathan Brestoff & Ivan Perry
President McAleese & Scholars
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Matt Baum
President McAleese & Shane Colvin
2010
Year in Review
She noted the importance of the future of the
relationship relying not on nostalgia but on
contemporary understanding: “You are not the
same people you were when you took the plane
to Ireland and scattered after orientation to your
respective universities. You have each gleaned
utterly unique and different experiences and
insights, made friends and discoveries enough
to enrich a lifetime. You know Ireland better
and you know yourselves better for being alone
in an unknown place… We know that the links
you have formed with Ireland will make you
stronger, the US stronger and Ireland stronger.”
The President recognized “the genius and patience” of Senator George Mitchell, for whom
the scholarship program is named. She also
spoke warmly of the late Senator Edward Kennedy, “who worked to his last breath on behalf
of the poor, the marginalized and on behalf of
Ireland,” applauding the Scholars who are carrying out his commitment of “building a world
where all are included and cared for and none
overlooked or neglected.”
Mission at the US Embassy in Dublin, John
Hennessey-Niland, presented them with their
class rings, an annual gift from Cross Atlantic
Capital Partners.
The President concluded by calling the Mitchell Scholars “cherished honorary members
of our global Irish family.” Noting that they
are already “people who take responsibility,
who do not wait for others to do things. You
intend to be the next generation of problemsolvers in a world with many problems. I hope
that your time here in Ireland has honed your
skills, sharpened your focus and given you even
braver hearts. William Butler Yeats once said
that “education is not the filling of a pail but
the lighting of a fire” and I hope the fire lit inside each one of you will burn brightly on both
sides of the Atlantic for many years to come.”
As the Mitchell Scholars were called forward
Jennie LaMonte and the new Deputy Chief of
Among the 100 guests in attendance were former Prime Minister Garret FitzGerald, several
members of the Oireacthas including Ruairi
Quinn, Seymour Crawford, Senator Fidelma
Healy-Eames, NUI Maynooth President John
Hughes, and Brian MacCraith, incoming President of Dublin City University.
Ruth Shipsey, Paul Hayes, Kealon McCluskey
Senator Healy Eames, Senator Bradford, Trina Vargo
Sarang Shah, John Hughes, Ruairi Quinn
Shane Colvin, Jon Marino, Seymour Crawford
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Writers’ Week
The final week of activities for the Scholars
which continued in Limerick with a visit
to Glenstal Abbey and dinner at the home
of Micheál Ó Súilleabháin, one of Ireland’s
best-known musicians and founder of the
Irish World Music Centre at the University of
Limerick.
events as the guests of the Knight of Glin, at the
enchanting Glin Castle just north of Listowel.
The Knight of Glin, Desmond Fitzgerald, and
his wife, Madam Olda Fitzgerald, generously
spent time with the Scholars and the Knight
regaled the group with funny and fascinating
stories of the castle and his ancestors.
The Scholars attended Listowel Writers’ Week
(www.writersweek.ie) at the invitation of
Fine Gael TD Jimmy Deenihan, who was also
present at Farmleigh. They enjoyed the week’s
The Scholars attended three days of informative
sessions at Writers’ Week, which included the
taping of RTE’s Sunday Miscellany, the Mephisto Theatre company’s performance of Carol
Ann Duffy’s The World’s Wife, an evening with
Peter Sheridan, an interview with Lyn Barber,
and talks by poet Paul Durcan and writers Jennifer Johnston, Joseph O’Connor, and Roddy
Doyle to just name a few. Jimmy Deenihan
gave the Scholars a talk on the history of the
annual festival and he lassoed passers-by, such
as former MEP Mary Banotti and writer Ulick
O’Connor, to meet the Scholars.
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Year in Review
At Glin Castle with Knight of Glin, Desmond Fitzgerald,
Madam Olda Fitzgerald
Carry on in Listowel
Brother Antony at Glenstal Abbey
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Eoin O Suillebhain & Shane Colvin
Jumping into Writers’ Week
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Year in Review
With Jimmy Deenihan
With the Knight of Glin
Special Dublin showing of HBO film featuring
Senator Kennedy
In Dublin, The Alliance screened Last Best
Chance, a recent documentary about Senator
Kennedy’s efforts to achieve comprehensive
immigration reform. Many thanks to the filmmakers Michael Camerini and Shari Robertson
and to Omniplex for generously donating the
use of Swan Cinemas in Rathmines. More than
100 people attended two showings, including
Stockard Channing, who was in Dublin starring
as Lady Bracknell in Rough Magic’s production
of The Importance of Being Earnest.
100 Attend annual Mitchell Scholars Summer
Alumni Gathering
About 100 people braved the 100 plus degree
weather to attend the annual Mitchell Scholar
summer alumni gathering at the home of Cliff
Sloan and Mary Lou Hartman. Thirty-two
Mitchell Scholars were in attendance. Many in
Washington politics and journalism turned out
to meet the Scholars. Some of those attending
included: Kathleen Kennedy Townsend; Neera
Tanden, COO of the Center for American
Progress; DC Circuit Judge Garland Merrick;
Jason Weinstein, the Deputy Assistant Attorney
General for Criminal Affairs; Daniel Feldman,
the Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan; Richard Lazarus, Director of
the Oil Spill Commission; former White House
Counsel Greg Craig; Deputy White House
Counsel Don Verilli; Adam Liptak who covers
the Supreme Court for the New York Times;
Publisher of Root Magazine Donna Byrd;
Publisher of Slate, Jon Alderman; White House
Staff Secretary Lisa Brown; and Steve Riskin
of the US Institute of Peace. Many thanks to
Mary Lou and Cliff for welcoming our summer
invasion.
Kealan McCluskey has joined the Advisory Board of the US-Ireland Alliance.
For Kealan’s complete bio please go to:
http://www.us-irelandalliance.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=1136
Page 16
Eleventh Class Of George J. Mitchell Scholars
Arrive in Ireland
The eleventh class of George J. Mitchell Scholars was welcomed to Ireland at a reception at
University College Cork (UCC) in early October. UCC President Michael Murphy welcomed
the Scholars. Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Micheál Martin T.D., gave remarks and USIreland Alliance President, Trina Vargo, introduced the Scholars.
Minister Martin, who was Ireland’s Minister
for Education when the Scholarships were
established in 1999, welcomed “the Mitchell
programme’s growth over the last 11 years and
as Minister for Foreign Affairs I appreciate the
continued importance of international exchange
from an added perspective. Ireland, the United
States and individual Scholars have much to
gain from this opportunity for the exchange
of ideas and knowledge in areas from Biology,
Environmental Health and Quantum Physics
through to the engagement of disadvantaged
youth in education and academic achievement.
Indeed the topics to be addressed by the 2011
Mitchell group during their time of study here
in Ireland are a clear illustration of the shared
2010
Year in Review
political, social and economic challenges facing
many countries and the world. We all realise
that the history shared by Ireland and the US is
special and, while it might not seem as relevant
now, our links serve as reminder that all nations are intertwined and linked in one way or
another. Working together and sharing our understanding are principals clearly demonstrated
by the nine Scholars here today and indeed by
the 117 highly qualified US students who have
Caroline Fennell and Louise Tobin
photos by Patrick Bolger
Cooking with Rory O’Connell
Page 17
At UCC
Fergal McCarthy, Stephen Pearce, Paul Hayes, Cathal Davey
2010
Year in Review
in Cobh with Mary Wilson
Lee Jenkins, Piaras MacEinri, Marita Foster
Joey Graziano, Eamonn Sweeney, Deirdre Mask, Stephen Dorner
Mitchells & Minister Martin
John O’Callaghan & Fagan Harris
Miinister Martin, Deirdre Mask, Ryan Merola, Steven Sifuentes
Keith O’Brien & John Kelleher
President Michael Murphy
Page 18
participated in the Mitchell Scholarship programme in the past”.
President Murphy said, “UCC is honoured
to have the opportunity to co-host with the
US-Ireland Alliance, the annual celebration of
the arrival in Ireland of a new class of Mitchell
Scholars. For over a decade, UCC and all of
the Irish universities have been beneficiaries
of this wonderful programme designed to
strengthen and remould the relationship between our two countries. The Mitchell Scholars
are very special people. Exceptionally talented,
academically accomplished, and exhibiting
curricula vitae that surprise in every line, they
provide invaluably challenging benchmarks
for our own students. They are ambitious and
energetic, committed to understanding, in one
year, what makes us Irish, what “European”
means, and to assimilate that learning to shape
leadership careers back in the United States.
The Mitchell Scholars Programme, I am certain, will prove to be one of the 20th century’s
most insightful investments in preserving Irish
influence in US public policy and in cultural
connectedness between us.”
2010
Year in Review
Trina recounted the arrival activities of the
Mitchells, which included a dinner in Kinsale,
a day in Cork city, a trip to Ballymaloe Cooking School, a cooking class with chef Rory
O’Connell, and a sunny day spent touring
Cobh with Mrs. Mary Wilson, who educated
the Scholars on the history of Cobh and Cork.
Steven Sifuentes, Kyle Krieger, John Minihane
Tom McCarthy & Sammy Leslie
Page 19
St. Anne’s
Tom O’Neill & Stephen Dorner
2010
Year in Review
Mitchell Scholars Enjoy Thanksgiving in Dublin
On the Friday after Thanksgiving, the group
visited Aras an Uachatarian (the Irish White
House). President McAleese was away in Cork
so Adrian O’Neill, the Secretary General to the
President, spoke with the Mitchells and arranged a tour of the Aras for them.
the invitation of Managing Director Paul Carty.
Brand Manager Mark McGovern gave a talk
on the history of Guinness and we learned a lot
of interesting facts and watched how Guinness
is made. In each of the last two years, over a
million people have visited the Storehouse.
The gang then headed into town for lunch
and happened to meet Fine Gael Leader, Enda
Kenny, in the street.
On Saturday, Thanksgiving was enjoyed at the
home of Paul Hayes and Mary Calpin. This has
become an annual tradition filled with food,
music and naps!
They also visited the Guinness Storehouse at
Adrian O’Neill, Secretary General to the President
Photos by Nigel McDowell
Ibrahim Elshamy & John Hume
Page 20
Cal Hayes & Shane Colvin
Fagan Harris
2010
Year in Review
Mary Calpin & Paul Hayes
Mitchells at the Aras
Ibrahim Elshamy - tryptophan kicks in
Mitchells with Enda Kenny & Paschal Donohoe
Steven & Heather Sifuentes, Ambassador & Mrs. Rooney, Joey
Graziano, Yongjun Heo at Marine Corps ball
Ryan Merola; Kamala Lakdhir, US CG to Belfast; Speaker of the
Northern Ireland Assembly, William Hay; Ibrahim Elshamy
Alums Visit Walden Pond
Mitchell Scholars in the Boston area got
together for a trip to Walden Pond. Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau lived for two
years in a cabin there and later (1854) wrote
the book Walden about living simply. His book
influenced W.B. Yeats’ Lake Isle of Innisfree.
Walden may be a good book to read again in
these trying economic times.
Kathi Anderson, Executive Director of the
Walden Woods Project, kindly arranged the
outing. Kathi has been the Director of the
Walden Woods Project since the beginning
20 years ago, when Don Henley asked her to
lead his project to preserve the area around
the Pond. While Henley may be best known as
drummer and founding member of the legend-
Page 21
2010
Year in Review
ary band, The Eagles, it is his work as an environmentalist and the saving of Walden Woods
that will be his lasting legacy.
Matt Burne, Director of Conservation, and Jeff
Cramer, Thoreau scholar and curator of collections, took the group on a hike around the pond
and taught about Thoreau’s life and writings and
his influence on the American conservation and
passive resistance movements. The group then
visited the Thoreau Institute where Jeff gave a
tour of the library and exhibit space — the largest research collection on Thoreau in the world.
The group then headed to Concord to see the
Old North Bridge/Minuteman Historical Park
where “the shot heard round the world” was
fired. And then it was on to the home of Louisa May Alcott. In addition to seeing the desk
at which she wrote Little Women, we learned
a lot about the family, which had views about
the education of children, and girls in particular, that were very progressive for the time.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW
Because there are now nearly 120 Mitchell
Scholars, space prevents us giving updates on
each of them in this newsletter. However, you
can follow the careers of the Scholars in the
class notes section of our website at http://
www.us-irelandalliance.org/
wmspage.cfm?parm1=1086
Mariyam Cementwala (class ’03) met President Obama at an event at the White House
marking the 20th anniversary of the Americans
With Disabilities Act.
Mariyam currently
serves as the Manager of Government
Relations for the US
International Council
on Disabilities.
Erin Breeze (’01)
attended our Oscar
Wilde event with husband Daniel Junge,
who was nominated
for an Academy
Award for his documentary film.
Jimmy Soni (’08)
and Travis Green
(’09) on an alums
hike at Harper’s
Ferry, WV.
Jeff Kramer & Kathi Anderson
Michelle Miles
(’02) married Levin
Arnsperger in
Montana.
Dawn Hewett
(’02) and Vicki
Moore (’09) caught
up with Trina in La
Jolla, California.
Page 22
Trina Vargo, Lilly Jeng, Scott Miller, Jenny Taranto, Tommy Vitolo,
Jeff Cramer
SCHOLARSHIP SPONSORS
THE
GOVERNMENT OF
IRELAND
US
DEPARTMENT
OF STATE
The NORTHERN
IRELAND
DEPARTMENT FOR
Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs
EMPLOYMENT
BD (BECTON,
DICKINSON &
COMPANY)
AND LEARNING
CROSS
ATLANTIC
CAPITAL
PARTNERS
UNIVERSITY Sponsors
Dublin City University / Trinity College Dublin / Queen’s University Belfast
University College Cork / University College Dublin / University of Limerick
University of Ulster / National University of Ireland Galway
National University of Ireland Maynooth
In addition to those listed elsewhere in this newsletter,
we are very grateful to the following for their In-kind support
Abbey Theatre
American Airlines
Aras an Uachtarian
Arnold & Porter
British Embassy
Castle Leslie
CDG Solutions
Chester Beatty Library
CIE
Cisco
Doonbeg Golf Club
Glenstal Abbey
Glin Castle
Guinness Storehouse
Paul Hayes & Mary Calpin
Hayes Solicitors
Irish Permanent Representation of EU
The Irish Times
Listowel Writers’ Week
The Lyric Theatre
National Library of Ireland
National Trust
The Northern Ireland Bureau
O’Connor Sheedy
Office of Public Works
Omniplex
The Royal Irish Academy
Solas Nua
UCC
In addition to those listed elsewhere in this newsletter, the US-Ireland Alliance
wishes to thank the following for their contributions of $1,000 or more:
J.J. and Katie Abrams
Sean Darragh/BIO
Charles Doherty
John Gardiner
Jan Karon
Bobby Mulcare
NEXT GENERATION GIVING
We are grateful to the Mitchell Scholars for their continued support of the program and their
participation in ongoing activities, as well as mentoring those who follow them.
Class of ‘01
Ned Augenblick
Rebecca Blustein
Erin Breeze
Traci Donovan
Mikela French
Desha Girod
Winnie Li
Gabe Paquette
Rachel Rebouche
Rebecca Reichert Aslakson
Laela Sturdy
Tom Vitolo
Class of ‘02
Peter Frosch
Dawn Hewett
Bryanna Hocking
Matt Huenerfauth
Ehrin (Johnson) Armstrong
Jen Lambert
Kathleen Long
Michelle Miles
Kathleen Romig Krepps
Julia Rosenbloom
Ben Trachtenberg
Lisa Yu Russo
Class of ‘03
Matt Alexander
Mariyam Cementwala
Jeannie Huh
Emily Mark
Georgia Miller Mjartan
Joanna Pearson
Seena Perumal Carrington
Davin Quinn
Mark Tosso
Sarah Wagner-McCoy
Amanda Wetzel
Class of ‘04
Dariush Afshar
Cassie Farrelly
Moira Herbst
John Kiess
Jana Kiser
Robbie Majzner
Michael Osofsky
Simon Rodberg
Arsalan Suleman
Jasmin Weaver
Class of ‘05
Monica Bell
David Buckley
Michael Gale
Ryan Hanley
Nick Johnson
Frank Smith Lilley
Kesav Mohan
Robert Mulcare
Paul Musgrave
Cynthia Romero
Brandon Thibodeaux
Class of ‘06
Liza Anderson
Melissa Boteach
Ben Cote
Lily Jeng
Aaron Rabinowitz
Brittany Schick
Mike Solomon
Geoffrey Swenson
Richard Waters
Markus Weisner
Carie Windham Page
Class of 07
Karly Burke
Kathleen Claussen
Adar Cohen
Kara Cook
Matthew Haney
Aaron Kurman
Daniel Preysman
Sarah Sexton
Victoria Sprow Kelly
John Velasco
Sarah Wappett-Kendall
Class of ‘08
Allison Barlow Marby
Jeffrey Benedict
Art Chan
Sarah David
Brendan Hayes
Sean Healy
Bernadette McFadden
Franklin McMillan
Scot Miller
Jimmy Soni
Erin Stevens
Nate Wright
Class of ‘09
Katie Boyle
Jose Canto
Tyler J. Dillard
Catherine Fontana
Travis Green
Lara Janson
Andrea Laidman
Ryan McCartney
Victoria Moore
Erin Rhoda
Adam Tart
Class of ‘10
Matthew Baum
Jonathan Brestoff
Shane Colvin
Breanna Detwiler
Rebekah Emanuel
Christina Faust
Neil Ferron
Adam Harbison
Lauren Parnell Marino
Alec Schierenbeck
Sarah Shah
Michael Solis
The US-Ireland Alliance is
CORPORATE
SPONSOR
grateful to its Boards
and Sponsors
Honorary Board
Prime Minister Brian Cowen
Senator Susan Collins
Eamon Gilmore, T.D.
OSCAR WILDE: Honoring Irish in Film
Mary Harney, T.D.
John Hume
Senator Edward M. Kennedy
In Memoriam
Enda Kenny, T.D.
PREMIERE
SPONSORS
Senator George J. Mitchell
Advisory Board
Brian Barrington
Laurence Crowley
John Gardiner
Kealan McCluskey
Gerry McCrory
Jim Sheridan
Ruth Shipsey
Counsel
James F. Fitzpatrick
Richard Hubbard
Arnold & Porter
SUPPORTERS
Joe O’Malley
Hayes Solicitors
FRIENDS
Space does not allow us
to thank individually each
throughout the year.
We could not have done
it without you!
The walt disney studios
Paramount Pictures
William morris endeavor
ENTERTAINMENT
CABOOM
STEFAN SONNENFELD
Reveille
TOURISM IRELAND
NBC
Alan & Sharon Wertheimer
PARALLEL FILMS
of the numerous others who
have offered their support
JOHN GARDINER
IN-KIND
SPONSORS
first music contact
Lily O’Briens
Food America
SIMON PEARCE
Guinness
schoolhouse tees
Harp
smirnoff
Kerrygold
Sterling Vineyards
Laura mercier
Sunset Marquis