Ciara Mulligan

**bonner** Fri Jul 05, 2019 1:15 am

Ciara Mulligan A final year student of B.Sc. Business and Law at TU Dublin, Ciara, is working to qualify as a lawyer and is employed as a future trainee solicitor at Matheson. The social cause that means the most to her is the protection of young people from domestic abuse in their home. She feels it is a cause so rarely spoken of and one that needs more reform with regards to the malpractice of social workers. The law has evolved so much to improve Children’s rights especially through the establishment of Tusla, a state-run body. However, further protection must be afforded to teenagers and young people as the consequences of domestic abuse can be horrifying. Most charities in this field don’t tend to accept volunteers so she thinks raising awareness through Spun-Out a charity run by young people for young people would be a great start. This cause is so important to Ciara due to her own very difficult family circumstances attributed to mental health illnesses. She never found someone who was going through a similar experience and couldn’t find helpful resources, so she wants to make sure others never undergo her same experience

**bonner** Fri Jul 05, 2019 1:18 am

Dearbhla Dolan is studying Optometry in TUD with hopes of opening her own practice after graduation. In addition, she wants to spend her post graduate time and newly acquired training to volunteer in developing countries by providing people with eye exams and glasses. Two organisations that she wants to continue to work with are Vision Aid Overseas and Child Vision. Vison Aid Overseas helps people in the developing world who do not have access to an optometrist or glasses and Child Vision is Ireland’s only charity that deals with education and therapy needs of blind and multi-disabled children. She is incredibly passionate about the opportunity to be a global ambassador and believes Ireland is the land of ‘Cead Mile Failte’ which means ‘The land of a thousand welcomes.’ She wants to propagate this message, as the world of tomorrow requires diversity, inclusion, and unity to surpass the problems of the future

**bonner** Fri Jul 05, 2019 1:22 am

@figoreilly is a determined, self-proclaimed military ‘brat,’ who has never lived anywhere longer than 3 years in a row until she attended university. She has a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from The George Washington University, which she has used to become a Director of the NASA Space Apps Challenge and a NASA Datanaut. Being appointed a NASA Datanaut means being accepted into a very competitive program made up of engineers and scientists who engage with NASA’s open data to create innovative new thinking, processes, and products. This year, the program officially recognized her initiative, #EmpowermentThroughCoding, whose mission is to support women and girls learning to code. Through her work as a Datanaut, she has also brokered partnerships with amazing organisations like ‘Girls Who Code’ and the ‘Equals Global Partnership’ to host events and bring science communication programming to thousands of women and girls. As a female engineer, she recognizes that she is a minority in her profession and has experienced why it is so important for women to break through glass ceilings. She wants to work to empower and support women in their careers so that they can stay competitive and continue to learn the skills necessary to go far.

**bonner** Fri Jul 05, 2019 1:25 am

kirakilcoyn @kirakilcoyne is currently attending college at the Waterford Institute of Technology, studying business. Growing up Kira suffered from a lisp and was bullied in primary school for it. While that seems like a very young age, the bullying has impacted her greatly when it came to speaking publicly. Over the years, she worked extremely hard and learned how to overcome it by teaching herself how speak clearly and correctly. Now, she is a lot more comfortable with public speaking, and is no longer worried about it! The WSPCA, ISPCA, and Dogs Trust Ireland are charities that mean a great deal to Kira due to these charities focusing on the very relevant issue of animal cruelty and rehoming of animals in Ireland. Over the years, her family and her have rescued many dogs and cats by giving them a home. She believes if it wasn’t for these charities, her beloved dogs and animals would have been killed or abandoned.

**bonner** Fri Jul 05, 2019 1:28 am

Dearbhla Walsh This experienced former titleholder, Miss Northern Ireland, is so passionate about pageantry because she loves being a role model to younger girls – “showing them to be confident in every facet of their lives and that they can reach the stars.” She loves the Miss Universe sisterhood bonds that are built with the other women and loves how the contestants support each other. She believes that women should build each other up, not knock each other down. Dearbhla’s career ambition is to be a TV Presenter for a construction related TV show like ‘Room to Improve’ or ‘Grand designs.’ By using her honours Bachelor of Science degree in Quantity Surveying, she would love to be the Quantity Surveyor on one of these programmes; giving advice for the builds. She loves that the most unusual thing about her is the fact that the surface façade doesn’t match the interior. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, yet she can still put on a hard hat and boots and compete in a male dominated industry. Self-described – “like legally blonde, but more like construction blonde!

**bonner** Fri Jul 05, 2019 1:30 am

Nadia @littlered.s uses her bubbly personality to make a daily difference while working at Pips Charity as a Mental Health/Suicide Prevention Youth Training Facilitator. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Queens University and a Master of Applied Psychology & Mental Health Therapies. She has won the National Princes Trust Community Impact Award due to the success of the Suicide Prevention & Awareness Workshop (HOPE) programme and the difference it is making in her community. Additionally, she was also given the ‘200 Hours Millennium Volunteer Award’ for her outstanding work in her community. Despite all her successes, Nadia has struggled with self-doubt. In the past, she has let her lack of confidence take control of her life, her experiences, and her relationships. However, she slowly began to learn that she was the one holding herself back from living the life she knew she wanted and deserved. Now, she takes on as many experiences as she possibly can. She never wants to regret not doing something because she held herself back. To her, there’s no more room for self-doubt in the big life she wants to live!

**bonner** Fri Jul 05, 2019 1:31 am

Sophie Amelia was a TOP 10 Finalist at Miss Universe Ireland 2017 and is a bubbly, honest, and hardworking woman that epitomizes the brand.
Recently, she has had to overcome a dramatic recovery after spinal correction surgery. We are lucky and grateful to have her alive today after the series of traumatic events that left her with a metal back. In the summer of 2016, after over a year of waiting, she was excited to finally have the surgery that was going to alleviate her pain and discomfort. She awoke after the procedure in the ICU and the next few days passed by without incident. The day before her scheduled discharge, she fell short of breath, started coughing up blood, and was in tremendous pain. The doctors rushed her back to the ICU for x-rays/Ct scans which showed double pneumonia, an abscess, and fluid in her lungs that was septic and spreading around her body. She immediately underwent an emergency operation. After the surgery and over the course of the next week she remained in the ICU. Luckily, Sophie prevailed, but the experience forever changed her outlook on life. The whole journey remains a defining part of her life and the entire summer of ’16. It was by far the biggest obstacle in her life, but she now feels stronger than ever

**bonner** Fri Jul 05, 2019 1:36 am

Rebecca Alana is a creative, organized, and motivated kindergarten teacher who has a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Teaching and Learning. Her long-term career ambition is to work for Apple Education, training other teachers on how to use technology in the classroom. In addition to educating Ireland’s youth, Rebecca is passionate about AsIAm – Ireland’s National Autism Charity and Advocacy organisation. She thinks that they are doing wonderful work in advocating and providing support and resources to people on the autistic spectrum including their families. She believes that people on the spectrum see the world in a different and beautiful way. This should be celebrated and respected by communities. If everyone was educated in understanding autism, she believes our country would be a better place. Rebecca is also passionate about Period.org - a global non-profit organisation that aims to end period poverty and stigma. She believes that all girls and women should have access to affordable menstrual care. Girls should not feel ashamed of something as natural as a period and she thinks it is important to start the conversation and educate boys and girls in schools around Ireland.