Two of Scotland’s young talents are undertaking exciting internships in the USA, as part of Entrepreneurial Scotland’s Saltire Scholar Internship Programme.

Nisha Middleton, 21, from Rothesay and Rachael MacDonald, 20, from South Uist are part of the 2019 cohort of talented students on paid placements with leading organisations across the globe. Nisha, an Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering student, is spending her summer as a Market Researcher for New York based That’s Nice, a leading life science research company. Joining Nisha in the USA is Rachael, an Economics student at Heriot-Watt University. Rachael is based in North Carolina, working with the New Hanover Regional Medical Centre within the Global Innovation Network team.

Both internships have been funded directly by a long-time supporter and donor of the programme, Jean Young. Ms Young has funded 16 Saltire Scholars since 2012, the majority of whom have been from across the highlands and islands including her own hometown Orkney.

Born in Orkney as Jean Clair Drever, Jean Young now lives in Dallas, Texas, but returns to Orkney every year during the summer months. This year a record number of 181 students are participating in the 13th year of Scotland’s leading internship programme.

Students from all over Scotland are currently on internships across the world with countries including: USA, Canada, Italy, UAE, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Scotland and England. Jean Young, said: “I have been a long time supporter of the Saltire Scholars Internship Programme and have seen the amazing impact on the students I support year after year. It is fantastic to see the students return to their studies with added inspiration and confidence. “Their academic achievements are outstanding and I know the internships give them the necessary experience to go on and become leaders in their chosen fields. It is the most rewarding thing I have ever done!”

Nisha Middleton, Saltire Scholar, said: “I feel extremely grateful and excited to embark on this Saltire Scholar experience. To be able to spend my summer interning in New York City is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. Just when I thought things couldn’t get better, I then got the news that I had been selected for a sponsorship. I owe a huge thanks to both Entrepreneurial Scotland and to Jean Young, as without their funding and support, none of this would have been possible.”