SHSS Alumnae Link - Fiona Larkin

Welcome to SHSS Alumnae Link!

This is where we connect with past pupils and find out what they’re up to now.

This week we linked with Fiona Larkin who graduated in 2013.

Name and position:

Fiona Larkin, Front Office Manager.

Lives:

Madrid, Spain.

Best memory of Sacred Heart:

I loved the school musicals. I wasn’t ever a main character, but I loved doing them because of the sense of community it created within the school. The magic of working so hard on something and then people actually enjoying it. It was great to get to know girls outside of your own year too. 

What were your favourite classes?

Music class was probably my favourite class because we were a small and tight-knit group. We would try to turn the class into a singing class as much as humanly possible and throw a class party for everything we could think of! I think we were professionals at turning work into fun. Somehow we all still learned a lot, however, and managed good grades! Ms Hayes was a particularly encouraging teacher who took the time to get to know us individually and would always encourage me to step out of my comfort zone. I always felt like she saw something in me that I hadn’t seen in myself yet and that’s so important when you’re a teenager to have someone tell you, you can do it when everything feels overwhelming.

Tell us about your career progression to date: 

You could say that my career progression has been unusual. After the Leaving Certificate I started at the University of Limerick. I was determined to go to a university even though what I really wanted was to study Film. Within three months in UL I knew it wasn’t for me. I went on to study Film in Ballyfermot College of Further Education, where so many people of the Irish Film Industry got their beginning. This led me to move to Spain after graduation and learn Spanish. I came back after two years and studied a BA in English and Spanish. I took the scenic route and ended up being in college at the same time as my sister who is five years younger than me! I am due to start my new position as a Front Office Manager in Runnymede College in Madrid and I am very excited for my next adventure. 

 If you weren’t in the job you have, what would you be doing?

I have always been told that I am very over-dramatic. A “drama queen”. Perhaps I am destined for the stage or screen. If only I could harness that drama and make some money from it! 

Advice you would give your teenage self:

Try to get to know yourself and trust your own instincts. I relied a lot on the opinions of others and feared stepping out of the crowd. If I could go back with the knowledge I have now, I think I would enjoy my teenage years a lot more. 

Favourite quote or motto?

Everything happens for a reason.

It’s cliché but it has always kept me motivated. It might seem like nothing makes sense and the world is collapsing around us but I like to believe there is a bigger picture we just can’t see yet. 

What is your hidden talent?

I can make my eyes shake. A former classmate from SHSS is now a qualified optometrist and she informed me that it’s called “Voluntary Nystagmus”. Fun fact! 

Huge thanks to Fiona for taking the time to answer our questions!

See you soon for the next instalment of SHSS Alumnae Link.