Athlone and Moate students earn Trinity College entrance awards
Students from Athlone Community College, Our Lady's Bower, Coláiste Chiaráin and Moate Community School were among those who earned a prestigious entrance exhibition award from Trinity College Dublin in recognition of their outstanding performances in last year's Leaving Cert exams.
A total of 602 first-year students from all 32 counties of Ireland and overseas have received Entrance Awards from Trinity this year.
In total there were twelve students from Westmeath who were awarded the Trinity entrance awards this year, along with three from Roscommon.
The Westmeath recipients included China Lynch and Heather McDermott of Athlone Community College, Szymon Tomasz Skoczen of Coláiste Chiaráin, Nina Stehelova of Our Lady's Bower, and Emily Winters of Moate Community School.
Other Westmeath recipients were: Mousa Alsaadi and Killian John McGrath (Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar), Sara Delaney (Meán Scoil an Chlochar, Kilbeggan); Sean Tully(St Finian's College, Mullingar), Eve Hickey (Loreto College, Mullingar), Ifeoluwaleke Aarez Brian Mogaji (Wilson's Hospital school, Multyfarnham), Kelsey McGreal(Scoil Sheosaimh Naofa, Rochfortbridge).
The Roscommon recipients were Michael Crowley (Coláiste na mBráithre, CBS), Daria Dovhanik (Coláiste Naithí Naofa) and Heather O'Sullivan(Vocational School).
On social media, Athlone Community College congratulated its two Trinity entrance award recipients, Heather McDermott and China Lynch, saying: "This prestigious award is awarded to the students accepted into the first year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme who achieve the highest points among Trinity entrants from their secondary school.
"We are extremely proud of both students and wish them every success in their future."
Our Lady's Bower congratulated Nina Stehelova, saying she earned the award after after achieving an outstanding 625 points in her Leaving Certificate.
The school said she was "an exceptional student throughout her years in Our Lady’s Bower, demonstrating particular excellence in science and maths" and adding: "We wish Nina every success and happiness in her medical studies and have no doubt that she will go on to achieve great things in her future career as a doctor."
Moate Community School celebrated Emily Winters' success and, in a Facebook post, wished her "every success as she studies Pharmacy in TCD".
The students and their former school principals were invited to receive and celebrate their awards at ceremonies in Trinity’s Examination Hall from January 20-22.
There were 59 students receiving awards from 39 countries outside Ireland. Of the Irish awardees, 393 were from schools in Leinster, 67 were from Munster, 42 from Connacht, and 41 from Ulster.
Trinity Provost Dr Linda Doyle congratulated all the awardees, saying: "They deserve enormous credit for the hard work and commitment that have brought them to this point.
"I also want to congratulate all those who have supported these students on their journeys. In addition to their parents and guardians, I want to acknowledge the dedication of school principals, teachers and wider school staff - both primary and secondary - who play such a vital role in bringing out the best in students during their formative years."
The awardees each receive a certificate and a €150 book token.