African American Student at Auburn University Named a Mitchell Scholar

The George J. Mitchell Scholarships are administered by the U.S.-Ireland Alliance. Winners of these prestigious scholarships are selected to pursue a year of post-graduate study at universities on the island of Ireland. Created more than a decade ago, the scholarship program was named in honor of U.S. Senator George Mitchell’s role as chairman of the Northern Ireland peace talks. The program was initially eliminated from this year’s budget of the Department of State but a campaign by elected officials, university presidents, and the government of Ireland persuaded the State Department to continue the program.

This year’s fourteenth class of 12 Mitchell Scholars was chosen from nearly 300 applicants. Only one of the 12 new Mitchell Scholars is an African American.

Marian Royston is a native of Roanoke, Alabama. She is currently a senior at Auburn University where she is majoring in history with minors in political science and community and civic engagement. She has conducted an oral history project on the battle to integrate the public school system in Macon County, Alabama. As a Mitchell Scholar, Royston will study community development at Queen’s University in Belfast.