Benjamin Cote was named one of 12 students out of 220 applicants nationally to be awarded the George J. Mitchell Scholarship. The scholarship, named for former Senator Mitchell (D-ME) (LAW ‘61), will fund a year of study at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland next year, where Cote will pursue a master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies.
“I feel really fortunate to have the opportunity to study at a school where John Hume is a professor,” Cote said.
Hume won the Noble Peace Prize in 1999 for his efforts in finding a peaceful solution to the conflict between Northern Ireland’s Catholics and Protestants.
Cote credited several mentors for contributing to his personal growth at Georgetown.
“Scott Fleming [Assistant to the President for Federal Relations] has been like a dad to me,” he said.
He also named Vice President of Student Affairs Todd Olson and College Dean Father Ryan Maher as role models.
“Father Maher was the man I went to to talk about faith, politics and my human development,” Cote said. Though Cote is a political economy and math major, he named former interim Chaplain and current President of the University of Scranton Father Scott Pilarz’ Medieval Literature as his favorite Georgetown class.
Fleming says that he believes Cote to deserve the Mitchell Scholarship.
“I have seen in Ben a remarkable combination of intelligence, tremendous interpersonal skills and care about other human beings,” he said.
Following his graduate work, Cote intends to work in the non-profit sector or in public service.
