Author of viral 'Love Letter' to speak as UCC honour outstanding students

Sarah Jameel, a Quercus Active Citizenship Scholar, whose emotional plea for peace in the wake of the Paris and Beirut terror attacks, ’A Love Letter to Beirut, Paris and Beyond’ went viral across the globe and was picked up by the Huffington Post in the US, will deliver an address at UCC tomorrow

She will be joined by UCC President Dr Michael Murphy and UCC’s Senior Vice-President Academic and Registrar, Professor Caroline Fennell who will award Quercus Entrance Scholarships to 77 students.

“I am the result of a diverse, inclusive and holistic education, and the teachers that never gave up on me and taught me how to think, not what to think.

"This education in life is unmatchable and is eternal. And here at University College Cork, I feel that same vibe,” Jameel said on the eve of the event.

Professor John O’Halloran, Vice-President for Teaching & Learning at UCC and Director of UCC’s Quercus Talented Students’ Programme went on to say The Quercus Entrance Scholarship Awards Ceremony is a very special night in the UCC calendar.

"It allows us to mark and celebrate the extraordinary academic achievement of 77 of our first year students along with their families, former school principals, teachers and guidance counsellors,” said

“Excellence underpins all that we do in UCC and these Quercus Entrance Scholars epitomise academic excellence. We are proud to have them as our students and we look forward to seeing them grow in the next number of years at UCC."

Leaving Certificate results, or equivalent, attained by Quercus entrance scholars clearly demonstrate the University’s continuing ability to attract the brightest students to its campus. This year 54 students achieved between 600 – 625 points and 23 students achieved between 580 and 595 points.

Quercus Entrance Scholarships are competitively offered on the basis of results in the Irish Leaving Certificate or equivalent and valued at €2,000.

Of the scholarships, 22 students will be awarded in the College of Science, Engineering & Food Science, 19 in the College of Arts, Celtic Studies & Social Sciences, 19 in the College of Medicine & Health and 17 in the College of Business & Law.

Whilst the majority of scholarship recipients represent Cork city and County, students came from other counties including Westmeath, Dublin, Kildare, Wexford, Waterford, Clare, Limerick, Tipperary and Kerry, as well as other countries including France and Germany.