OUTSTANDING ARTS, HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES STUDENTS AWARDED QGA SCHOLARSHIPS  

12 April 2019

Outstanding Queen’s University students Dearbháile Slane and Ross Johnston have been announced as the recipients of the 2019 Queen’s Graduates’ Association (QGA) scholarships, designed to support students who have returned to Queen’s for postgraduate study.

The students, both from the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, have each been presented with a cheque for £2,500 at the annual QGA President’s Spring Drinks Reception at First Trust Bank’s University Road branch.

Dearbháile is currently completing a Master’s degree in Conflict Transformation & Social Justice. Her background is in Social Work, working with adolescents from working class communities in Northern Ireland and unaccompanied minors seeking asylum from the UK government. These issues exposed her to the impact of conflict and associated intergenerational trauma on child and adolescent development both in the Northern Ireland context and the wider world.

Her research project will explore the ongoing paramilitary presence in working class communities and look at how this interacts with structural violence (such as poverty and social exclusion) to create a toxic environment of insecurity, fear and intimidation in marginalised communities.

Ross Johnston is a postgraduate student on a Bar Course at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, and will be called to the Bar in September 2019, practicing from March 2020.

He became interested in human rights and social justice during his undergraduate degree and through volunteering at Citizens Advice and decided to become a barrister with a view to working in those areas and advocating on behalf of vulnerable groups within society.

Ross intends to apply to the Bar Pro Bono Unit and eventually specialise in human rights and judicial review, using the law as a tool to secure justice for marginalised and powerless groups within society such as refugees, asylum seekers, people with disabilities, children and those living in areas of socio-economic deprivation.

Speaking at the scholarship presentations, QGA President Fergal McFerran commented: “I am delighted to present Dearbháile and Ross as our 2019 Queen’s Graduates’ Association Scholarship recipients.

“They are both passionate students who exemplify incredible commitment to their chosen field of study and we are proud to honour their work and support them in their future endeavours.

“Awarding annual scholarships is a very important part of the QGA’s role within the wider Queen’s family. As alumni, our members have all benefitted from both the quality of education and diversity of experiences afforded to them by Queen’s.

“These scholarships are our way of giving back to the current generation of students who will no doubt go on to achieve great things in their future,” he finished.

Dearbháile Slane said: “It has been a great honour to have been selected to receive the Queen's Graduates’ Association scholarship this year. Making the decision to leave my full time job as a Social Worker and return to education was not without its doubts. Being nominated and subsequently selected to receive the award was a huge boost to my confidence and my proudest achievement to date.

“I am so very grateful for the opportunities the scholarship has provided to help me enrich my learning experiences and make the most of my time at Queen’s. After being awarded the scholarship, I was able to put off returning to part-time work and focus solely on my studies.

“I have since had the privileged opportunity of being part of a working group to develop and publish a response to the NI Executive Office's draft legislation to implement the recommendations of the Historical Abuse Inquiry.

“It is additional activities such as this that I would not have had the opportunity to engage with without the additional financial support provided by the QGA scholarship.”

Ross Johnston added: “I am deeply honoured and grateful to be awarded a QGA scholarship. The award will greatly reduce the financial burden of postgraduate study and enable me to fully focus upon my studies.”

The Queen’s Graduates’ Association Scholarship programme rotates each year around each of the three University faculties, with each school within the chosen faculty tasked to put forward their best student for the award. The winners are chosen by an independent panel.

For more on the activities of the QGA visit the Association website or contact Queen’s Alumni Officer (Engagement), Stephen O’Reilly or phone +44 (0)28 9097 1945.

To submit graduate news items, or for general enquiries about this story, please contact Gerry Power, Communications Officer, Development and Alumni Relations Office, Queen's University Belfast or telephone: +44 (0)28 9097 5321.

Photo caption (L-R): Queen’s Graduates’ Association (QGA) scholarship recipients Dearbháile Slane and Ross Johnston are pictured with QGA President Fergal McFerran.

 

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