McShane Fund - McShane Fund

About Natasha

Natasha McShane is from a small community in Silverbridge, in Northern Ireland. She comes from a tight knit family and is the eldest child of five.

Through her life she has received a lot of praise for her academic abilities and for her sociable nature. She attended Our Lady’s Grammar School in County Down, Northern Ireland for seven years. It was there in which Natasha really started making her stamp on the world. She was an exemplary student who also is a gifted artist. In fact, one of her art pieces was even displayed at an art gallery in the city of Belfast in 2004.

Not only is Natasha a talented artist, she also has a flare for drama in which she has also received praise. After leaving secondary education Natasha embarked upon a new life in Manchester, England in which she studied Environmental Planning. In the summer after completing her first year of University Natasha travelled to the Dominican Republic, volunteering to build schools for children.

After a year there she decided to go home and study in a university closer to her family and friends. She attended Queens University, Belfast N.I for 2 years. When her degree was finished she was offered a visa from the Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh and she ventured off on her internship at the Allegheny Co. Department of Economic Development. She worked at the Claddagh Irish Pub in Southside Works. When she returned home she had received a scholarship from the Taoiseach Brian Cowen to do her a Masters in University College Dublin.

Natasha then applied to a student exchange program and was successful in the selection process which offered her a place in the University of Illinois in Chicago studying Urban Planning and Public Affairs. She has completed her Masters qualification and wishes to travel around America before returning home.