Olga Marlin was born in New York City on November 12, 1934 and studied modern languages at Trinity College Dublin, from which she received her MA degree in 1956. She also holds a H.Dip.Ed. from University College Dublin. Ms. Marlin is a founding member of Kianda School, Nairobi, Kenya, which started as Kianda Secretarial College. It was the first multi-racial girls' school in East Africa. She is also a member of the Strathmore University Council.