​James May, '12, Selected to Class of 2019 George J. Mitchell Scholars

James May, '12, was recently selected to the 2019 Class of George J. Mitchell Scholars. The George J. Mitchell Scholarship program was created 20 years ago by Trina Vargo, founder of the US-Ireland Alliance. Recipients of the award are chosen on the basis of academic distinction, leadership and service and spend a year of post-graduate study at institutions of higher learning in Ireland.

"I have a strong personal connection to Ireland, both of my mom’s parents were from Ireland, I did my English thesis on James Joyce’s Ulysses, and I’ve had the opportunity to visit twice before," said James. "When I found out that such an impressive scholarship existed in Ireland, it was a no-brainer that I had to put everything I could into an application."

James will study in the music department at University College, Cork, Ireland beginning in September 2018. 

After Central Catholic, James went on to attend the College of Wooster, graduating Phi Beta Kappa from The with a dual degree in Music Composition and English and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Composition at the University of Louisville. James has created over a dozen original compositions that have been performed by students and ensembles around the country.