WILMINGTON — Seamus Oliver, a senior at Salesianum School, has been named one of 40 recipients of the Jefferson Scholarship at the University of Virginia, where he will begin collegiate studies in the fall. The scholarship is awarded by the Jefferson Scholars Foundation.
Candidates for the scholarship must go through a rigorous selection process. They must be nominated by their high school or affiliated organizations based on demonstrated excellence and exceptional potential in the areas of leadership, scholarship and citizenship, according to Salesianum. Once they are nominated, students go through at least one round of regional interviews. If selected as a regional finalist, a student participates in a final round of interviews.
This year, nearly 2,200 students were nominated, and 139 finalists took part in remote interviews.
Oliver has been involved with ScoutBoys Nation, Delaware Boys State, mock trial, school television station WSAL, and he was named a finalist for the Coolidge Foundation Scholarship and a semifinalist for the Coca-Cola Scholarship. He was one of two Delaware seniors to be chosen for the United States Youth Senate Program, and he is an Eagle Scout.
His scholarship will cover the full cost of attending Virginia for four years, and Oliver will be eligible to benefit from travel aboard, career networking activities, an outdoor challenge program, and a leadership speaker series.
