Sean and Abigail to study in USA

TWO Dungannon students – Sean Casey and Abigail Rafferty – are off to Pennsylvania this month.

The pair are among 48 students on Study USA, a programme which offers scholarships to study business or STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) related subjects in American colleges, across 28 States, helping to develop their career prospects when they return to Northern Ireland.

Sean, who is a Law and Politics Student at Queen’s University Belfast is off to West Minister College; while Abigail, who studies Sport and Exercise Science at Ulster University will spend her year at DeSales University.

Speaking ahead of his departure, Sean who is former St Patrick’s Academy pupil, said, “I decided to take part in the Study USA programme as I viewed it as a really exciting opportunity to broaden my mind through experiencing another culture and its education.

“I was always told that travel is the best education one can receive and the Study USA programme is a perfect way to achieve this. I hope to return to Ireland with a new appreciation for life outside the North and be able to utilise the skills I have obtained during my time away.

“I am excited to see what life in the US is like – it is a country I grew up wanting to visit, and I feel that Study USA gives a great opportunity to fully experience the US way of life due to the length of time you spend in the States.

He added, “When I return home, I will finish my last year of Law with Politics at Queen’s. I am then planning on attending the Institute and qualifying as a solicitor, following which I intend to practice commercial law. I am hoping the business studies I undertake during my time in America will aid me in this work.”

The British Council, which is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations, manages Study USA on behalf of the Department for the Economy – and since its formation in 1994, the initiative has sent over 2,000 students studying in Northern Ireland to all four corners of the United States.

Speaking about the programme, Jonathan Stewart, Director, British Council Northern Ireland, said, “Study USA is a great way for Northern Ireland students to connect with another country, to really get to understand that country through living there for a year, and enhance their CV by developing new skills in an international setting.”