ON FIGURING LIFE OUT by Linn Ternsjö ('12)
I
t has been almost eight years since I graduated from AISB. A lot has changed since then. For one I’ve moved back to my home country Sweden, and I just started my PhD in Economic History with a focus on sustainable development. On the other hand, a lot is very much the same. I still love to engage in global issues. The only difference is that instead of speaking at assemblies and encouraging the school to offset its carbon footprint and to sell exclusively Fairtrade coffee, I’m researching similar issues defined by the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). How, for example, can we accelerate transformations of existing production and consumption systems (SDG 12)? And what are the historical parallels?
I still love to be active. I was far from the best at swimming or cross country running at AISB, but the sense of community and belonging was always incredible. Wherever I’ve been since then I’ve always made an effort to be part of a sports group, and I’ve had some of the best conversations on a hiking trail. Above all, I still love to learn new things and to be in international contexts. Otherwise I wouldn’t have moved as much as I have since graduating high school. My years at AISB have been very formative of who I am today. I went there between 5th and 12th grade after all, and my mum still teaches at the school. Before moving to Budapest I attended a Victorian primary school in the English countryside. Apart from hearing an array of different English accents on my first day at AISB, I remember being amazed at how I was suddenly able to wear (almost) whatever I wanted and
page # 24 | The Bridge
that I was encouraged to speak up and express my opinions. Long gone were the itchy school uniforms and worn classrooms with a teacher lecturing in front of thirty children.
Over the years I made amazing friends, not least thanks to all the community service activities I enjoyed being part of. One of the bigger things I started together with Evelyn Cools and the support of Mr Burns, was the “Senegal Project”. We came in contact with a school for young children living in poverty and after visiting it ourselves, we initiated a fundraiser and sponsorship program for three students. With the help of Madame Fabiny, we raised awareness across AISB by linking the project to World Language Week. As far as I’m aware, the project is still ongoing. Since then, my commitment to global issues has taken slightly different forms. I studied Economics and Development at SOAS, University of London, before taking a year out to intern at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Embassy in Rwanda. I remember being insecure about my Swedish, having grown up abroad, but at the same time I had dreamt of doing this for a while. In hindsight I’m happy I was brave enough to take on such a new challenge with no guarantees. It gave me confidence and perspective going back to my studies.
My years at AISB have been very formative of who I am today.
