San Francisco – Margaret Harkin

I was born in San Francisco 26 years ago, and raised just south of the city in San Mateo. The only daughter to parents that moved to the sunshine in 1981, I was preceded by two brothers and followed by yet another. I grew up playing soccer and softball, with zero ability to Irish dance. Thankfully, my inability to jig or reel did not keep me from Ireland. My parents, born and raised in Leitrim, took us home frequently. While my friends have memories of Hawaiian volcanoes, my favorite summers were spent climbing rolling hills, watching sheep be dipped, and spending time with my cousins. I loved it, though I have yet to see Hawaii. I began volunteering while attending St. Francis High School, and have been fortunate enough to participate in eight U.S. Disaster Relief trips. From California wildfires to Oklahoma tornadoes, I found fulfillment in meeting the tangible needs of the hurting, and it has shaped my young adult life thus far. I spent the summer of 2012 in Nepal, playing soccer with street children during the day, and working to rescue trafficked young women at night. It was in Kathmandu that I saw the disparity of health across the world; that the value of life differs greatly by where we live. I completed my Bachelors of Science in Public Health in 2013 and left the U.S. for Ireland, earning my Masters of Public Health in International Health from University College Dublin in December of 2015. This past January, on a medical mission trip to the Philippines, I decided I want to pursue a degree in Medicine, which is the current route I am on. Representing San Francisco in Ireland is beyond humbling; two places that raised me, shaped me, and have enabled me to reach out.