Department of Education
Rheynn Ynsee
News Release
Media and Events Office
Corporate Services Division
St George’s Court
Upper Church Street, Douglas
Isle of Man, IM1 2SG
Tel: 01624 686080
Mob: 07624 463677
Email: [email protected]
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Scholarship winner announced
FORMER Ramsey Grammar School student Katrina Taylor is the winner of this year’s Ella Olesen
Scholarship.
Katrina, 21, will follow a long line of local students in spending nine months among the 12,000
students at Idaho University in the USA from this summer.
The scholarship is named after the late Miss Ella Olesen, a former registrar of the university who
died in 1985. Her Manx ancestry – her mother Margaret Teare was born in Ballaugh and emigrated
to America in 1890 – led her to gift the scholarship in 1971. It is awarded annually to a female
degree student who has been supported through her studies by the Department of Education.
Forming the interview panel for this year’s scholarship were Education Minister Anne Craine MHK
and Head of Legal and Administrative Services John Gill. They sifted through 14 applications and
interviewed five girls before selecting Katrina.
Katrina, who lives in Close Caarjys, Ramsey, left Ramsey Grammar School with four A-levels and
13 GCSEs. She was heavily involved in sport and belonged to numerous societies.
She is now studying for a BSc Hons in Sports Science at the University of Central Lancashire
(UCLan) and her studies have seen her work with Preston North End FC’s academy players as well
as Wigan Warriors rugby league club.
Katrina is taking part in a major research project to collect data on children’s physical activity and
bone health. She has also been part of an internship group at UCLan researching the effects of
footwear on the body during sport and she has been invited to present this research at a
conference in Montana. She hopes to continue studying the biomechanical and physiological
aspects of sport at higher level after her year in Idaho and is looking forward to being involved in
the 2012 Olympics in London.
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Katrina has also worked in Kenya, building dams and teaching at schools, as a volunteer with the
Queen’s Golden Jubilee Trust and has represented the Isle of Man at an inter-Celtic festival in
France with the dance group Ny Fennee. A keen recreational and competitive swimmer, she has
completed a mile-long charity swim in aid of the RNLI. She plays hockey for Ramsey Hockey Club
and is on its committee.
Katrina said about being selected for Idaho: ‘To receive the Ella Olesen scholarship is a privilege
and a fantastic opportunity I am very excited to embark upon. Being an ambassador for the Isle of
Man while in Idaho, experiencing a new and more diverse lifestyle, also enabling me to continue
my current studies in sports science, is beyond any expectation I could have hoped for.’
Katrina can expect the usual warm welcome from two former neighbours of Miss Olesen, who will
help her settle into her new home. Phyllis and Duane LeTourneau – known as Granny and
Grandpa Idaho – traditionally meet new scholars at the airport and look after them for their first
few weeks in Idaho. Katrina will be the 44th guest from the Island that they will welcome (at its
inception the scholarship benefited two students).
Current scholarship holder Clare Christian, 22, of Onchan, began studying in Idaho last August and
will be there until May.
Back in the Island for the Christmas and New Year break, Clare said: ‘I'd like to congratulate
Katrina on being awarded the Ella Olesen scholarship. It's a wonderful opportunity to study abroad
and share a little of our Manx culture and heritage with fellow students. I wish Katrina all the best
for her time in Idaho.’
Ends
Notes to newsdesks:
A photo of Katrina Taylor is attached.
Contacts for further information:
Katrina Taylor – 07624 467812 (before 7 January) or 07531 581790 (after 7 January)
John Gill, Head of Legal and Administrative Services – 01624 685820
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