[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 77 (Tuesday, May 19, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S5609]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



  (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)

                        GEORGE MITCHELL SCHOLARS

 Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, today, Taoiseach Brian Cowen met 
with the ninth class of George J. Mitchell Scholars. His decision to 
meet with this impressive group of students demonstrates the major 
contribution this program is making to strengthen the future of the 
United States-Ireland relationship.
  The United States-Ireland Alliance was created in 1998 by my former 
foreign policy adviser, Trina Vargo. With limited resources and staff, 
the alliance has been at the forefront of recognizing, and then 
responding to, the fundamental changes in the United States-Ireland 
relationship.
  The Mitchell Scholarship program is the keystone of the United 
States-Ireland Alliance. It has been led ably by Mary Lou Hartman, and 
has gone from strength to strength. In a few short years, the program 
has become as competitive and as sought after as other renowned 
scholarships such as the Rhodes, Marshall, and Fulbright Scholarships. 
This year, 300 people applied for the 12 annual Mitchell Scholarships. 
I have followed the causes of these former Mitchell Scholars and they 
are already making outstanding contributions and reflect the commitment 
to service exemplified by our former Senate colleague, George Mitchell.
  One former Mitchell Scholar, Seena Perumal, lives in Cambridge, MA, 
where she serves is chief of staff for the Massachusetts Division of 
Health Care Finance and Policy. Seena graduated with a bachelor's 
degree in religion and a master's in public health from Case Western 
Reserve University. She founded and was president of Project Sunshine, 
which serves hospitalized children, and founded and was president of 
Alternative Break, an organization that helps organize community 
service trips during spring breaks from college. She also worked with 
Cleveland Jobs With Justice, a group that ensures workers' rights. As a 
Mitchell Scholar, she obtained a master's degree in international human 
rights at the National University of Ireland in Galway. She then served 
as the director of new initiatives for the New York City Department of 
Homeless Services, the agency that oversees policies and programs for 
the city's approximately 37,000 homeless persons.
  The U.S. Government has provided $500,000 each year for the Mitchell 
Scholarship Program. I commend Irish businessman Derek Quinlan for his 
commitment to raise 20 million euros toward establishing a permanent 
endowment for this program. The Irish Government has agreed to match 
what is raised for this impressive program, and I am sure that United 
States-Ireland ties will continue to benefit significantly from these 
important scholarships in the years ahead.

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