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When Anna Newbould learned Syracuse University would reinstate the year-long Lockerbie scholarship program, she was “pleased,” but skeptical whether the change would actually take effect.

Newbould was a Lockerbie Scholar during the 2024-25 academic year, along with Cameron Colville. The two had thought they were the last to experience the year-long program.

“I’m really happy that it has been reinstated, but it’s kind of still a bit of an unknown,” Newbould said.

In May, SU announced it would reinstate the year-long Lockerbie Scholarship for the 2026-27 academic year. The program, which brought two students from Lockerbie Academy in Scotland to SU each year in memory of the Pan Am Flight 103 victims, had been cut months earlier in favor of a shorter model.

In September 2024, the Lockerbie and Syracuse Trust revealed plans to replace the scholarship with a week-long immersion trip for 10 to 12 Lockerbie Academy students, bringing more students to campus. The 10 to 12 students are in their last year of secondary school, unlike previous scholars who were college freshmen.

The trip coincides with Remembrance Week, Oct. 19–25, allowing Lockerbie students to help organize events honoring the 270 victims of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, which included 35 SU students and 11 Lockerbie residents, and raise awareness about terrorism.

At the time, Lockerbie Scholars weren’t receiving academic credit for coursework during the year-long program, which the change aimed to address while strengthening ties with Lockerbie Academy and the broader community, SU said in October 2024.

The switch reflected students’ changing interests, an SU spokesperson told The Daily Orange in September 2024. When The D.O. asked questions regarding the current changes and future of the program, an SU spokesperson referred to the original May press release.

Newbould and Colville said the scholarship changes significantly impacted their time at SU. They frequently spoke out about the issue, sharing updates with friends and family in Lockerbie.

Colville said when he first heard about the scholarship being reinstated, he felt a sense of achievement.

“It was just a really special moment of like, ‘Wow,’ I’ve really, sort of had an impact, being over here and doing everything that I’ve done has sort of helped play a small part in the role of it being reinstated,” Colville said.

Newbould said many of her friends in the year below were “disappointed” that they were unable to participate in the annual program last year. The immersion trip announcement in September was made after Lockerbie Academy students had already started preparing their applications.

She added that while there’s still an “underlying uncertainty” among the Lockerbie community on what will happen going forward, there’s excitement among the 10 students participating in this year’s week-long immersion trip.

Kerry Currie, deputy head teacher at Lockerbie Academy, is accompanying the 10 Lockerbie Scholars on their trip to Syracuse. A 1996-97 Lockerbie Scholar, she said there’s been an overwhelming interest from Lockerbie Academy students.

Currie said the new immersion trip allows students to share their experiences with classmates when they return, making Lockerbie Academy more involved in Remembrance Week. She said they plan to hold assemblies to raise awareness about the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing — something the year-long program didn’t allow.

Before the trip, applicants submitted a creative piece — such as a painting, essay or poem — that the selection committee used to evaluate their applications, along with presentations and speeches they shared with the school.

Following the fall 2024 announcement, many former Lockerbie and Remembrance Scholars expressed frustration with the scholarship being reduced to a week-long program.

In fall 2025, before the year-long program was reinstated, Christopher Jennison, a 2011-12 Remembrance Scholar, drafted an open letter signed by more than 427 scholars, students and supporters voicing their disappointment in the decision.

The letter argued the changes “significantly diminish” the impact of a 35-year tradition. Former scholars said the year-long program fostered lifelong friendships and international connections — some even leading participants to move across the Atlantic.

In its response, SU said it had reviewed the program’s academic component and found Lockerbie students were more focused on social life than studies.

Colville said that while he didn’t earn academic credit, SU allowed him to take classes outside his sports science degree — opportunities rarely offered in Scotland. An entrepreneurship course, he added, taught him valuable skills beyond his field.

As a federal lawyer, Jennison said there would have been other ways to fix a problem with academic credit before significantly changing the length of the program.

“Those individuals who choose to do the program can go in eyes wide open about the value and the drawbacks of the program,” Jennison said. “There’s usually always some way to make something work, rather than cutting out of fear.”

Colville said he suspected the university would continue using the one-week immersion trip format if this year’s trip is successful. He said he’s not opposed to the change, but notes a lack of transparency from the university.

“I think for change to be implemented right, there is more explanation that’s needed for things. And I think that’s probably the biggest thing that’s lacking is just clarity in what’s actually going on,” Colville said.

Colville said he wished the university had consulted Lockerbie students and past scholars on their opinions on the future of the program. He called the lack of information from the university “unfortunate” and said he’s interested to see how next year’s program will be structured and funded.

Jennison said alumni might have supported the change if they were informed of the reasoning, but he was “frustrated” when the university didn’t consult them.

“Any kind of lack of clarity is really troubling,” Jennison said. “If there was any kind of dilution of the program going forward, I would expect the same level or more of alumni pushing for its continuation.”

The year-long program was previously funded by both the Lockerbie and Syracuse Trust, a UK-based charity, and SU. This year, the week-long immersion program is fully funded by SU.

The trust announced it wouldn’t fund any scholarships moving forward and would focus its resources on initiatives directly related to the Lockerbie community, Colville said.

Currie said that Lockerbie Academy was heavily involved in the logistics of a week-long immersion trip, with weekly Zoom meetings with the university. She said that before this year, the academy was also not involved in the selection process of the two scholars, which was done by the Lockerbie and Syracuse Trust.

She said the week-long program’s success so far stems from Lockerbie Academy’s understanding of what students want from the experience, which is a result of the relationship the academy has built with SU.

The typical number of applications for the year-long scholarship was at most 12 students, but 27 students applied for the immersion trip, Currie said. Lockerbie Academy has about 60 students in each class.

Currie said students don’t want to take a year off from pursuing their degree in Scotland and come back with no qualifying SU credits.

“The whole process has been so worthwhile,” Currie said. “Just to see, you know, the kids grow and develop this week, and for them to reflect as well. Some of their family members were impacted by the disaster, and they’re here on behalf of them.”

When The D.O. asked Remembrance Scholars their opinions on the Lockerbie scholarship changes, those who responded said they were advised not to speak on the changes.

Colville said he was surprised Remembrance Scholars couldn’t speak on the changes, though the university may want to keep the focus on Remembrance Week. He said he was “disappointed” last year when discussion of the switch to an immersion trip overshadowed parts of the week.

“It was something that I didn’t want to bring up because I feel like you shouldn’t mix the politics in with something as special and meaningful as Remembrance week,” Colville said.

Newbould said she suspects previous scholars weren’t asked for input because of a “breakdown in communication.” She suggested the week-long program may have served as a temporary bridge in communication until the Lockerbie Academy and the university agreed on a permanent model for the scholarship.

The relationships built through the scholarship “speak volumes,” Currie said, and can still be formed through the week-long program. She said she encouraged her niece to apply for the program; though her niece wasn’t selected, she later visited SU to see Currie’s sister-in-law.

Since planning for the week-long immersion trip started, Currie added that engagement within the Lockerbie Academy and interaction on social media have increased. She said she hopes more students can come to SU in the future.

Jennison said the Remembrance and Lockerbie programs connect international communities across generations and a cultural divide. He emphasized that these programs are important, now more than ever, in a more digital, but also more “disconnected world.”

“These programs facilitate those bridges, and that is not as readily there this year, and may or may not be readily there going forward, (which) is certainly concerning,” Jennison said.

Published on October 23, 2025 at 1:24 am
Contact Kate: kjacks19@syr.edu