Meet Margot Harrell: HOW THE DAUGHTER OF AN IMMIGRANT FROM PANAMA DISCOVERED SWEDEN IN SAN FRANCISCO

Interview by Karl Mettinger

San Francisco is probably one of the world’s most cosmopolitical cities where everybody is welcome, and everything is possible. Margot Harrell, who has been a regular in our church for 20 years, is born in San Francisco. Her mother from Panama had a dream of California had settled here when she met a young man from Oklahoma who shared the same dream. Soon they married and grew a family with two sons and three daughters. Margot, the middle daughter, went to University High School in San Francisco and received a bachelor's degree in Marketing from New York University but returned to California where she discovered the Swedish community and fell in love with Swedish culture and language.


When did you first come to the Swedish church. Who introduced you? 

I first came to the church over 20 years ago. After returning from my last extended trip to Sweden I was looking for ways to continue the connection and language. I went to the SWEA Christmas fair and heard about the Swedish service at the Norwegian Seaman's Church.


You seem to have a real passion for Sweden and the Swedish language. Tell us more about the people that have inspired you and your friends in Sweden. 

In the early nineties I was working for a record company in Los Angeles and met a journalist from Sweden. We became friends and I slowly began learning the language and took my first extended trip to Sweden in 1996. During this visit I was able to take an intensive language class. Back in SF with the help of Ann Faut, I began taking classes with a tutor so I could join SWEA, and in 1999 I attended the Uppsala summer program where my language understanding really improved with the help of an excellent grammar instructor. Through the church and SWEA, and my friends both in Sweden and those I have met here, I've been able to continue my cultural and language understanding through personal interaction and access to books in Swedish.

Tell us about your professional work and the amazing projects you are involved in.

I work for an organization whose mission is to protect land and build parks across the country for the benefit of the public. Some of what we do includes working extensively in cities like New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles to create Green Schoolyards and parks in underserved communities; working with indigenous tribes to return ancestral land to the tribe; and working with landowners who would like to see their property preserved as public open space by helping to add it to federal or state land or to be stewarded by local land trusts or partners.

You live close to the church and we are privileged to see you in most of our services. What does the church mean to you, not the least during the pandemic.

Initially, the church was a place where I could practice the language but over the years it's become so much more than that. I've met so many great people and really feel welcome and part of a community which is so important, especially now. Having this opportunity so close to home is really wonderful. It is great that the church has created so many ways to continue the connections through Zoom over the past two years


What can we as a church do to better serve our Swedish families and friends and at the same time have an open door for everybody? 

It was nice when we had music events at the church which is a great way for everyone to experience and appreciate the culture and history of Sweden. Hopefully this and possibly other events, as logistics permit, can bring the broader community together to embrace Swedish and Scandinavian culture.