My journey to UWC, and further down the road here, started with a joke my mom made. That one joke lead to hours of research, an application to UWC, and finally a two-year international education in Mostar, BiH. I am forever grateful for the experiences I got to have at UWC with my peers. The interactions between people and the friends I made are something totally unique to my life and something I couldn’t have achieved anywhere else.
Researching schools of higher education -whether in the States, abroad somewhere else, or in Finland where my home is- the most important factor was the experiences other people have had. I looked for a school that could give me not only an education of the highest quality but also an experience.
Besides my desired major -sociology & anthropology- Lewis & Clark College offered interesting and unique extracurriculars as well as the city of Portland with limitless opportunities. Location wise Lewis & Clark was also far superior to my other options. I applied in Early Action and accepted the offer before even hearing back from my other options.
As of now -like I mentioned before- I am planning on majoring in Sociology & Anthropology. Besides that, I am interested in topics and courses that question and criticize systems of thinking. I am looking forward to the discussions in and outside of class where my and other people’s ideas are being challenged to the point of us having to form a new one.
Outside of the classroom, I am eager to learn about people, communities, and cultures. I am also looking forward to the discussions I get to have about the ideas and values I have gained from both, my peers from UWC as well as my home Finland. I find that the best time I have with people is when we are doing an activity to both of our likings.
When it comes to traveling, I have visited 9 countries, some of which multiple times like Estonia and Sweden. I used to work the summers so that I could escape the cold of Finland for a week during winter. As a young 15-year-old working summer breaks Mon-Fri from 6 AM all the way until 2 PM nearing a heat stroke in an enormous greenhouse I couldn’t have ever imagined an opportunity like this.
At Lewis & Clark, I wish to grow as a person and experience things I can then carry with me for the rest of my life.
P.S. The cap in the picture is the Finnish/nordic version of a graduation cap!