Three young women from Northern Ireland win a place at the renowned Yale University

THREE teenagers from Northern Ireland are due to leave for the US later this month after being accepted into Yale University.

Belfast’s Patti Mullin, Bangor’s Elé Donegan and Derry’s Ava Canney all won spots on the prestigious Ivy League campus after being recognized for their exceptional talents.

Ms. Mullin, who studied at Aquinas Grammar, will use the liberal arts approach to learning and will study a wide range of subjects at Yale, located in New Haven, Connecticut.

With a particular interest in neuroscience, cognitive science and psychology, the 18-year-old will take courses in these fields early in her undergraduate studies.

A talented and award-winning musician, the teenager is an Irish International Rowing Champion and will join Yale’s women’s rowing team, where she will train with and compete against World and Olympic rowers.

Bangor woman Elé Donegan, a two-time Irish swimming champion, has already been recruited by the Yale women’s swimming team.

The 19-year-old, who is interested in working in the space sector and is a former pupil of Our Lady’s and St Patrick’s College in Knock, south Belfast, is aiming to major in math and physics.

Involved in justice campaigns and the development of STEM education resources, Elé visited Stormont for her campaign work to advocate for the now passed Free Provision Bill, which requires the executive branch to provide free of charge

Contemporary products in the bathrooms of all public buildings.

Derry girl Ava Canney, an award-winning scientist who built a spectrophotometer to test synthetic dyes in candy and beverages, plans to take courses in STEM subjects with a preferred direction toward chemistry

mechanical engineering and pharmacy.

The 19-year-old, a former student of St Mary’s College in Derry, is a rising star who has completed graded exams in speech, acting and singing. She plans to continue her passion at Yale and take a wide range of art classes.

A spokeswoman for the trio said the “broad interest aspect” offered at Yale appealed to the three young women, who are “students with many opportunities.”

“They all want to pursue a range of interests, and Yale offers that opportunity,” she said.

“These three extraordinary young women have just been accepted into Yale from the Isle of Ireland this year, what an achievement and what an adventure awaits them.”

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