Margot Furman ’25 presented the culmination of her work in Ireland with Ukrainian Children as a Lorant Fellow at All-School Meeting.
Granted the Lorant fellowship for “most earnest endeavor,” Margot Furman ’25 took the stage during last Friday’s All-School Meeting (ASM) to share her experiences as a volunteer supporting Ukrainian refugees. She spoke about her work with displaced children, the challenges they face, and the sense of purpose she found in creating a safe, welcoming space for them during a time of upheaval.
Furman’s fellowship took her to Ireland, where she volunteered with Candle of Grace, an organization supporting Ukrainian women and children fleeing the ongoing conflict. Mainly involving programs for young children who had lost their homes, Furman focused on helping them find stability in this difficult transition. She emphasized the importance of making a difference within one’s own community.
“My biggest takeaway from the Lorant [Fellowship], even though I did go abroad, is that you can make an impact wherever you land. The idea of thinking globally but acting locally. There is always something you can do in your local community that can help so many other people. In Ireland, Lily and the organization Candle of Grace acted for people in their local community and created such a great community there. But, of course, their impact was spread all across the world and still is,” said Furman.
During her speech, Furman shared that this experience transformed her understanding of what “home” could mean, a theme that was central to her speech.
“I learned that home is created through the compassion and connections that we find and share along the way. It’s where family and love thrive, even in the most challenging of times. Helping these children feel warmth, love, and compassion gave me an echo of the sunshiny feeling they remembered from Ukraine,” said Furman in her ASM presentation.
Furman recalled teaching the children songs on the ukulele. At the end of their three weeks together, they performed a song entitled “Obijmy,” which translates from Ukrainian to “Hug Me.” Jonathan Oh ’27 shared how this music performance exemplified his vision of compassion and feeling at home in Andover.
“My friends and the community I have at Andover really embody Margot’s idea of home. Compassion is emphasized here and connection is what holds the entire school together in my experience. For example, there are so many people that I get to meet and the relationships I curate with them are truly unique to a place like Andover,” said Oh.
In her speech, Furman spoke about the responsibility of making a difference, even at a young age. As a friend to Furman, Ginny Marshall ’25 shared how powerful it was to hear the impact of Furman’s fellowship.
Marshall said, “[The] ASM was really emotional for me. [When] one of my best friends, Margot Furman, did her Lorant Fellowship presentation, I was moved to tears. I know a lot of other people were too. It was really powerful and really meaningful to see her up there and Ms. [Stephanie] Curci put it best — we have restored faith in humanity after that presentation.”
Although Furman has left Ireland, she talked about the impact working with Candle of Grace had on her. Furman still keeps in touch with the organization and plans on continuing her work in the future.
“Every moment I’ve spent with the kids is something I’ll never forget, and they’re still such an important part of my life. I still talk to them all the time and I plan on going back to Candle of Grace next summer. They are such a big part [of my life], and I just know that they’re always going to be such a big part of my life, and that’s just really special,” said Furman.
