Irish student selected for prestigious three year Claas scholarship
THE Claas Group has chosen David Thornton as its next Agric ultural Engineering Scholar from Harper Adams University.
Mr Thornton, 20, from Maganey in Kildare, is currently in the second year of an honours degree in agric ultural engineering.
As this year’s winner of the cove ted Claas Scholarship, David, who grew up on the family farm, will have his fees for the second and fourth years of his studies covered, and in year three he will complete a one-year sandwich placement with Claas, spending time in England and Germany.
In selecting Mr Thornton as its latest scholar, Claas took into consideration not only his academic background, but also hi s c harac t er, s ki l l s and enthusiasm for agricultural engineering.
Mr Thornton said: “I’m absolutely thrilled – it’s a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity.
“I have worked with Claas machinery over the years and have a genuine interest in the machiner y they produce, especially combine harvesters, coming from an arable farm.
“I am excited about spending a year working for Claas. I expect to be working for them in Britain next summer, and then going out to Germany in October.
PRESTIGIOUS
“It’s going to be great to see how such a prestigious company operates, and living abroad for the best part of the year will be some experience, even though I am already l i vi ng abroad, having come from home to study in England.”
Mr Thornton, who attended Coláiste Lorcáin secondar y school in Castledermot before starting at Harper Adams, said he wanted to thank t he interview panel for giving him such an amazing opportunity, and paid t r i bute to t he runners-up who were “tough competition”.
Launched in 2005 at the personal instigation of Helmut Claas, the Claas Scholarship is open to one second year student per year who is studying on either the MEng/BEng (Hons) or BSc (Hons) Agricultural Engineering, or the BSc (Hons) Agric ultural Engineering Marketing and Management courses at Harper Adams.