I was born in Gothenburg, Sweden however my parents always
dreamed of moving abroad so that we could experience
something different. Thus, when I was six we moved to
Chicago for a year, then to Paris, and eventually we ended
up in Cardiff, England where we lived for five years. After
that we moved to London where I spent most of my teenage
years. I don't consider myself very Swedish, although my
blond hair and blue eyes will always be a give-away. However
if someone asks me where I feel most at home I would say
England.
After finishing high school in London, I worked as a nanny
outside of Geneva, Switzerland where I studied French part
time. Then I moved back to Sweden as I had an urge to live
again in my home country. My dream was to study
International Economics in Sweden as the universities are of
a high standard, however after one semester I realized that
it wasn't for me. I have always found it easy to find
friends, but in Sweden it seemed to be harder than anywhere
else. In Sweden the other students would often not
understand my point of view – which was far more
international than theirs – and I realized that I was an
outsider despite my Swedish appearance. That’s when I
started applying to international universities in Europe.
Even though I was accepted into Lund University to study
Economics, I decided that after having found AUP on the
Internet that this might be an environment where I would
feel more at home. And I was right! From the very first day
of Orientation I have been welcomed with open arms. Here no
one judges you for your multicultural traditions and no one
considers it boastful to talk about living in London, New
York, Cape Town, Venice, or Geneva because here we find it
normal to be international. I chose to go to AUP knowing
that I would have to invest a lot of money into my education
whereas in Sweden it would have been free, but as my mother
said to me, it's an investment for my future, and as I go to
class everyday I see why I made the right choice.
I get involved as much as I can in student life at AUP.
Whenever I am not in class or studying, I am somewhere on
campus taking part in various activities. I started the
running club a year ago and am currently President of the
Student Ambassadors. I am also organizing a marathon this
semester and have also coordinated various student events
such as a Drugs Awareness Workshop.
How would I describe the AUP classroom experience? With only
20 students in each class, you can learn a lot from each
other about a wide range of issues. You get to know your
professors by their first names and are encouraged to
participate as much as possible because everyone's opinion
counts. The learning experience is interesting, fun, and
challenging.
As AUP is a small school it's easy to get to know the
majority of the student body. When walking from class to
class you will always run into someone you know! My favorite
place on campus is the Amex, the college café, where I
always eat my lunch with whomever I happen to bump into that
day.
I enjoy AUP’s diversity and multicultural environment
because I like being around other people who have
experienced as much of the world as I have. The fact that
AUP has over 100 different nationalities – students who have
seen more than just their home country – is an essential
part of why I love it here so much. Class discussions are
like nowhere else and this eliminates some of the bias that
so many people have nowadays.
I couldn't say which part of Paris I like best, I love it
all! My favorite thing to do is to grab my bike and just
cycle to a new part of the city where I've never been
before. It amazes me how diverse the different neighborhoods
of Paris are and the hidden treasures that each one
possesses. Living in Paris helps us grow as adults, and I
feel at home walking from building to building. Our campus
is a part of Paris, and we are quickly encouraged to wander
further and further away outside the classroom, something
that eventually enables us to become independent and
spirited individuals.
My ambition has always been to work to “promote peace” and
as my visions of how to get there have changed along the
way, I still hope to work for an international organization,
such as the UN or the EU. I am very interested in economic
development and the question of aid, thus I see myself going
to Africa after graduating from AUP, in order to experience
the real problems that the world is faced with in the
present day.
At AUP, you are given the opportunity to grow as an
individual, to acquire extensive knowledge about diverse
cultures, and to develop an open mind about the world.
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