Yale University: Three NI students 'overjoyed' after getting places
- Published
Ava, Patti and Éle are now set to leave these shores in a couple of weeks' time to start their university careers
Three women from Northern Ireland have said they are overjoyed after being offered places at Yale University.
Ava Canney from Londonderry, Patti Mullin, from Belfast and Éle Donegan, from Bangor, will all be attending the prestigious Ivy League university.
Former alumni of the prestigious university include Cole Porter, Jodi Foster and Bill Clinton.
Éle, Patti and Ava will join that illustrious list, beginning their university careers in a few weeks.
Patti Mullin is a former student of Aquinas Grammar and a star rower from the Belfast Boat Club. She said several prestigious universities in America were trying to get her to join their ranks.
Patti will be studying science subjects at Yale.
She began rowing when she was just 12 years old and is currently one of the top under 23 single scullers on the island of Ireland.
Patti Mullin had offers from several other prestigious universities
Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster on Thursday, Patti said she had offers from universities such as Princeton and Harvard but, after much deliberation, chose Yale.
"I'm a rower and I was recruited by the rowing coach from Yale," Patti said.
"He wanted me on the team, but that's not the only reason I am going. To get into the university you have to be scoring high in school as well and have other attributes to make you a 'Yalie'.
"Once you reach an international level with rowing you get recruited by various universities across America and the rest of the world.
"I was actually contacted first by Princeton University when I was 16, then Harvard and then Yale approached me last year."
Ava Canney says she will miss Derry but is excited for the future
Ava Canney, an award-winning scientist, built an instrument called a spectrophotometer to test synthetic dyes in sweets and drinks.
The pupil from St Mary's College in Derry plans to study chemical engineering at Yale.
"It feels so surreal, it doesn't feel like I'll be going away in two weeks' time for what is probably the next six years of my life," she told BBC Radio Foyle
"It's the opportunity of a lifetime and I'm looking forward to it."
Ms Canney described the gruelling application process prospective students must go through to gain their place.
"It is a rigorous process to get in, I think this year it was the lowest acceptance rate in years. I think it was around the 4% figure from over 50,000 applicants.
"When you apply, it's a long application process and a lot of essays where you have to tell your story - what you've been through.
"It was an exciting journey and I am proud to have finally got there."
Yale is one of the most prestigious universities in the US
Ms Canney said she was inspired to attend the university after visiting the US on a science award trip in third year and wanted to utilise their research opportunities.
She said she will miss Derry, especially her family and the people there, but is excited for what the future holds for herself and the other two girls.
Éle Donegan pictured winning gold at the Irish Championships this summer
Éle Donegan is the current Irish 100m and 200m women's butterfly champion and Ulster 100m champion.
The former student of Our Lady and St Patrick's College, Knock, swims for Larne Swimming Club.
"I was recruited for swimming, I was a little bit different from Patti because I looked into it quite late," she said.
"The [swimming] coach offered me a spot for next year but he also looked at my academics and things I've done outside of school so he encouraged me just to apply as a regular student.
"I was lucky in that I got in that way as well, so I will have both experiences of a student and as an athlete."
'We'll watch Derry girls'
Éle said she is thrilled that two others from Northern Ireland are going to New Haven, Connecticut.
"It will make such a difference to have these two other girls with me on this journey," she said.
"We have a little group chat together, we have met up a couple of times and it's nice to know if we ever lose our Northern Irish accents we can all meet up and watch Derry Girls."