PETOSKEY -- North Central Michigan College student Dane Schmidt of Gaylord will enjoy a semester of study at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) in Galway, Ireland, this fall.
Schmidt is the winner of a competition funded by the Robert Emmet Society that seeks outstanding ambassadors to represent the college and the society in Ireland. As the 2010 winner, Schmidt earns a round-trip flight to Ireland, free tuition for the fall semester, lodging and books at GMIT.
North Central, GMIT and the Robert Emmet Society have been co-sponsors of the competition since 1999. It is the only scholarship awarded by the college that sends a student abroad for study. Schmidt is the seventh local student to study in Ireland through this program. The competition is based on an essay contest, academic achievement, student activities and an interview with college and society representatives.
The competition is open to all North Central Michigan College students enrolled in an academic program at the college. Schmidt is in his third year of study at North Central in Petoskey. He will complete a degree in information technology administration in 2011. His trip to Ireland in early September will be his first experience abroad.
To be eligible for consideration, students first must submit an essay on the topic, “How do the political values of Robert Emmet, Irish patriot and namesake of Emmet County, relate to our world and our lives today?” Three college and society representatives then interview the top finalists before a final decision is made.
The Robert Emmet Society was established in 1990 to promote awareness and pride among Emmet County residents and visitors in the county’s namesake, a hero and martyr of the failed revolutions against the British rulers of Ireland in 1798 and 1803.
The society works closely with North Central in awarding the scholarship that is named after Joseph W. McCarthy, a local businessman, and Dr. William McCullough, a Petoskey physician, both active members of the society since its founding in the early 1990’s.
