Intern Q&A: Margaret Crookston

Meet Margaret (Maggie) Crookston, United to Beat Malaria’s Communications and Digital Media Intern. Maggie has been a vital member of our Communications team for the past month and will be with us until the end of summer. She has both supported and led a wide range of editorial, film production, social media, graphic design, and other communications projects. 

Tell us about yourself!  

I am originally from the Bay Area in California but grew up my entire life in Shanghai, China. As someone who has a serious case of the travel bug, I wanted to continue exploring various cultures by attending university abroad. Thus, I decided to attend the University of St Andrews in Scotland to pursue an MA with Honors in Management. As a class representative for the past two years, I am excited to have been elected to serve as the next School of Management President for this upcoming school year! In my free time, I love to crochet while watching a binge-worthy TV show and cuddling with my insanely cute toy poodle. 

What drew you to United to Beat Malaria and the UN Foundation? 

I volunteered several times at the Jacaranda School for Orphans in Malawi. I helped children with their schoolwork, built a house from the ground up, and most distinctly, I observed the consequences of children who suffered from various diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria. Thus, these unique experiences drew me to grassroots organizations that were dedicated to helping marginalized people, especially children. Naturally, my first instinct was to look at the United Nations Foundation, as they strive to address various socio-economic issues around the world. To my surprise, United to Beat Malaria was one of these campaigns and I knew instantly I had to be a part of this transformative movement.  

Why are you United to Beat Malaria? 

People should not suffer, especially from a preventable disease. To me, it is boggling and saddening that in such a progressive era, we as a society have seemed to have forgotten that there are populations without access to basic necessities such as food and water, shelter, and healthcare. While we take these for granted, nearly every minute a child dies from malaria. Yet ludicrously, malaria is a preventable disease with proper access to bed nets, anti-malarial treatments, and more. This is why I am United to Beat Malaria, to raise as much awareness as I possibly can for marginalized populations. 

What part of your internship with United to Beat Malaria are you looking forward to most? 

I am excited to work with a smaller team as I believe this will provide me with a supportive community that will help me thrive. Additionally, I am excited to have creative freedom and pursue projects that I am interested in that will directly impact the campaign. For example, video production is a passion of mine, and I cannot wait to help launch our TikTok with videos demonstrating how malaria impacts certain populations across the globe, partnerships with various organizations, and even our own team on the grounds.

What is a fun fact our champions may not know about you? 

To be completely honest, I still haven’t learned how to drive. As an environmentalist, I am a strong advocate for public transportation, and in most cases, it is a much easier alternative method for traveling around the city without worrying about parking. But alas, having a car would make grocery shopping a lot easier ha-ha.