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Cameron Colville has wanted to be a Lockerbie Scholar since he was 10 years old. Now, as one of the final two recipients of the scholarship, achieving that dream is bittersweet.

Colville and fellow scholar Anna Newbould are the last students to receive Syracuse University’s Lockerbie Scholarship before it transitions from a year-long program for two students in Syracuse to a one-week immersion trip for a group of ten.

“Fourteen years later, it means a lot to feel like I can achieve something by being here and connected with the tragedy,” Colville said. “I’m not sure if the new model can be as impactful as I feel this experience has been so far.”

For the residents of Lockerbie, Scotland, the scholarship shows a commitment to honor the memories of those who died in the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 bombing by forming connections between the affected communities, according to SU’s website. Colville and Newbould said the connection feels especially meaningful this year as they are the final students to experience its original structure.

The Lockerbie Scholarship was established to honor the 11 Lockerbie residents who died when Pan Am Flight 103 crashed on Dec. 21, 1988 due to a terrorist bombing. Since 1990, SU has selected 35 students and two Lockerbie Academy students each year to honor the 270 total victims, including 35 SU students, who died. This year will be the final selection of two Lockerbie Scholars for a year-long stay on SU’s campus.

Colville and Newbould acknowledged the power of Remembrance Week, but said finding out they were the last two scholars was “a shock.” They said they’re concerned the change might limit the impact of the scholarship’s legacy.

“I feel as though I’m not being given the chance to prove how meaningful and life-changing this scholarship can really be,” Newbould said. “It’s almost overshadowing (Remembrance Week) in a way that I wish it wasn’t.”

A university spokesperson wrote in a Wednesday morning statement to The Daily Orange that the transition reflects changing interests and dynamics of students.

“While we have enjoyed this program in its longstanding format for many years, we believe it is time to reimagine and expand … to allow even more opportunities for Lockerbie students to visit and experience Syracuse University,” the spokesperson wrote.

Both scholars said the scholarship was something they had worked toward for years. Colville, who is the first university graduate to be selected for the scholarship, first heard about it when his older sister started at Lockerbie Academy. After studying sports science at the University of the West of Scotland, he waited to apply until he gained more academic and volunteer experience. Even then, he said he wasn’t selected on his first try.

For Newbould, the path was more straightforward. She applied her senior year at Lockerbie Academy, motivated by her older brothers and classmates who applied before her, she said. She also said she was inspired by seeing prior scholars who made lifelong friends by coming to SU.

“When you first get to Lockerbie Academy, the head teacher tells you about it, and you know two of you will get to represent Lockerbie in Syracuse,” she said. “It’s something I always wanted to apply for.”

Newbould, who grew up just outside Lockerbie, said she was saddened by how the change would affect future applicants. She said she waited six years to apply for the program and fears the opportunity will be “stripped away” from others who did the same.

Colville and Newbould arrived in Syracuse in August and said they quickly found themselves immersed in a new culture. For Colville, who had visited the United States before, Syracuse offered a quieter, more welcoming environment than he had anticipated, he said.

“I didn’t expect everyone to be as welcoming as they have been,” he said. “You hear the accent, and they just start talking to you.”

Newbould, who is 17, said she faced the challenge of being far from home for the first time. She said Kelly Rodoski, the “Syracuse mom” for the Lockerbie Scholars, helped make the transition smoother. One of her most rewarding experiences has been joining Syracuse’s club soccer team, which recently qualified for nationals in Texas, she said.

SU’s senior club soccer team captain Grace Lesko said Newbould has been a great addition to the team both on and off the field. She said Newbould’s presence on campus this year has allowed her to travel to different states and strengthen friendships on the team.

“She shows up to soccer every day with a positive attitude … (and) has a contagious laugh and smile that brightens up the team,” she said. “Having her here for a year allows her to continue to explore this great opportunity she has shown immense gratitude towards.”

Colville, on the other hand, said he struggled to find his purpose at SU because he already attended university. He found his community at campus gyms, where he said he formed connections and deepened his knowledge of sport science and strength conditioning — areas he feels are more advanced in the U.S. than in Scotland.

“Originally there was sort of the challenge of finding my place within Syracuse,” he said. “So I clarified that I want to get more experience … The industry I want to go into is done very well here, but not as well in Scotland, so I’m trying to bring some of that back.”

After his year at SU, Colville said he intends to return to Scotland and pursue a master’s degree at Loughborough University. He wants to start a business that leverages his experiences at SU to help others build self-discipline and confidence through sports, in addition to strength and conditioning, as his way of embodying the “Look Back, Act Forward” theme.

“Growing up, I didn’t have a lot of self-esteem, but sports gave me confidence,” he said. “That’s sort of how I want to act forward, by inspiring others to go down a route of self-improvement.”

Newbould, who will attend Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen to study sport and exercise science next fall, also said she’ll also carry the lessons and connections she’s made at SU back home.

Both scholars worry the program’s shift will impact the depth of relationships between SU and Lockerbie students. Newbould said the one-week immersion on SU’s campus may not allow future scholars to build the same connections that come from living in Syracuse for a year.

“I think the connections will change, it’s going to be harder to make those lifelong friendships,” she said. “This scholarship has had such a massive impact on so many people’s lives, not just from Lockerbie, but from Syracuse as well.”

Colville said the Remembrance Scholars’ influence so far has been impactful to him.

“I’m learning a lot from (this year’s cohort),” Colville said. “Hearing about all of their act forward projects is really inspiring and it makes me want to take what I’ve learned back home and implement that into my community and try and make a change there.”

As Remembrance Week continues, both Colville and Newbould said they’re remaining committed to honoring the victims of Pan Am Flight 103. Colville, who said he teared up while writing a speech for the week, said it was a powerful experience to think about and connect to all the victims.

Even with the changes to the program, Colville and Newbould both said they’ll still carry on its legacy.

“Together, we’re stronger. This program has shown me that we can overcome anything as long as we have a connected network,” he said. “That’s the biggest lesson I’ll take with me.”

Published on October 23, 2024 at 11:35 pm

Contact Samantha: saolande@syr.edu