At Branksome, Margaret found herself increasingly absorbed in physics, the subject she turned to when nothing else held her attention. That fascination is taking her to the University of St Andrews in Scotland this fall, where she'll study physics as a member of Branksome’s Class of 2026, supported by the McEuen Scholarship, a full-ride award given to one Canadian student each year.

I've always been curious about the why behind how things work.

Margaret credits the IB Diploma Programme with shaping how she thinks. "The amount of depth and rigour we go into with all of the courses and projects really develops us as independent and collaborative learners," she says. That growth showed up in her Math IA, where she modelled a fountain in the Alhambra to see if it could function as a water clock. It's also what pushed her to take on a fourth Higher Level course in her second year. "Branksome instilled in me a belief that I can set and reach for higher goals, both academic and in personal relationships," she shares.

At St Andrews, Margaret is especially drawn to biophysics and the university's research in biophotonics, curious about how physics applies to medicine and the mechanisms behind how the body works. "I've always been curious about the why behind how things work," she says. "Physics is the key to understanding the world on a more intuitive level." Her interest in the McEuen Scholarship came through her University Counsellor, who encouraged her to apply even when she doubted her chances. "It was a miracle when I got it, and it made the entire rest of the school year so amazing," she recalls.

Outside the classroom, Margaret found some of her favorite Branksome memories through the history club, competing at a regional competition and qualifying for finals in Ottawa, and through a trip to Costa Rica, where she stayed with a local family and worked on community-oriented service projects. She’s also played piano for fourteen years, calling it the most consistent passion of her life, one she plans to carry into university. Above all, she says Branksome taught her that education is an experience rather than a product. "It was really about the study sessions with friends, and the class moments where we got to laugh and learn collaboratively."