The morning before Peter Frosch left for Winter Break, the Weinberg senior got a call from Washington, D.C. Two months of gathering recommendation letters, interviewing with a selection committee and waiting patiently were over.

Frosch had been chosen as one of the 12 recipients nationwide of the George J. Mitchell Scholarship.

“This was very good news to take home to mom for Christmas,” he said. “I was ecstatic when I found out.”

Universities in Ireland and Northern Ireland waive tuition and provide housing for the scholars as they study abroad for a full academic year. Scholars also receive a stipend of $11,000 for living expenses and an additional $1,000 to travel throughout Ireland and the rest of Europe.

The U.S.-Ireland Alliance, a nonprofit organization that works to strengthen relationships between the two countries, established the scholarship in 1998. It was named after Mitchell, the former senator who served as chairman during the 1998 Northern Ireland peace negotiations.

More than 200 people applied nationally for the scholarship this year and only 12 scholars were selected.

“It’s built to bring future leaders of the U.S. to Ireland, to help maintain good relations between both countries in business and politics,” Frosch said. “One of the reasons I’m interested in going is because I haven’t had much exposure to international studies yet.”

Frosch began the application process in October. He wrote an essay that detailed his interest in the program, gathered eight recommendations from professors and sent a resumé.

After making the first cut, the selection committee flew Frosch and 19 other finalists to Washington for an interview in November.

“The interview was only 15 minutes long,” he said. “That was strange, considering they flew us out there and everything. However, they had this cocktail reception afterwards with a lot of dignitaries present. The ambassador from Ireland was there. I think that was part of the test too, seeing how we acted in that situation.”

In Ireland, Frosch plans to get his master’s in international relations at Dublin City University. Frosch said he will focus on the political and economic relationship between America and Ireland as well as on the Northern Ireland peace process.

“I thought about going to Northern Ireland, but I was more interested in living in Dublin for a year for its cultural aspects,” he said. “Also, the southern area (of Ireland) is more thriving as far as business goes.”