I had always felt a pull in my heart that Norway was “home” and “my people”, since quite an early age. Out of curiosity I did some DNA & family history research and found out I did indeed have family originating from Norway in the 1850’s. Life works in mysterious ways to pull me back home! The IB at St Anne’s was therefore a brilliant choice for me because of its internationally transferable nature which enabled me to apply for a university in Northern Norway above the Arctic circle, for which I was accepted. I moved to Norway with one suitcase and a one-way ticket.

I studied a Bachelor of Biology for two and a half years at the Norwegian University and then was offered the opportunity to take more specialised Arctic courses even further north on a remote Arctic Archipelago called Svalbard, just 1000km south of the North Pole, at a place called UNIS - the University Centre in Svalbard. For the following year, I studied Arctic Marine Biology and also Arctic Terrestrial Ecology, which at the time was what I had always envisioned my future career was going to be centred around. As a child, whenever I was asked what I wanted to be, I always pictured myself in an extreme environment with minus temperatures and snow, doing research for something meaningful in nature. I knew an office job wasn’t going to challenge me in the way a good arctic storm would. Mr Lavender was Headmaster at the time I was enrolled at St Anne’s and he had always driven pupils to say yes to challenges and do anything and everything which was outside of your comfort zone. Safe to say I followed his words of wisdom and couldn’t be happier with where it led me in life!

On one particularly cold day in March, I found myself standing at the bow of the Helmer Hansen (a Norwegian Research Vessel) at 80°N, surrounded by nothing but sea ice as far as the eye could see and wonderful silence. I was doing research on Calanus Glacialis and Calanus Finmarchicus lipid levels during the Arctic spring bloom and in that wonderful silence of the sea ice, I had a quiet change of life-direction in my mind. There was no question that I loved the extreme environment that I was in, but I was no longer in love with the idea of being an Arctic Marine Biologist as a career. 

I stayed in Svalbard and had a total career change from Biology to Firearms dealer in an Expedition/sports shop. My new hobby of Longrange shooting with targets at 1km-3km is a surprisingly great way to relax both mind and body and put mathematics and physics to use. Perhaps I should have paid more attention in those classes instead of Biology! Who knew! 

Currently in Svalbard, the Dark Season, or “Long Night” has just started; as of October 25th, the sun dipped below the horizon and will not come up again until mid-February next year. The Polar Night is a great time for reflection. If St Anne’s and the IB hadn’t led me to going to University in Norway and that hadn’t led me to Svalbard, I would never have met my soon-to-be Husband, Henrik. We just bought a farm together in Tinn, Norway and will move there within the next few years. 

I would encourage any student to not feel pressure to stick with a career path just because they’ve said that’s what they wanted to become to their parents or teachers when young, if it is no longer the right thing for them when they’re older. Sometimes it takes trying something to find out what is and isn’t right for you. Life works in mysterious ways and as Mr Lavender said “Say yes to opportunities - try it - learn from it”. Who knows what else the future will hold, but I’ll always be sure to say yes and step out of my comfort zone when opportunities present themselves, as that advice has continuously led me to the best decisions and experiences of my life.