Did my years at St. Anne's help me achieve my goals? Did our motto, "Vincit qui se vincit" ("One who conquers himself"), truly come into play when I faced challenges throughout the years? These are questions I find myself reflecting on now as I write my story.

I joined St. Anne's at the age of 13 in 1969. I was a day girl living in Troutbeck, though I boarded for a year, and I left in 1974 after completing Sixth Form. My father, Gerhard Ploder, had been a physics teacher at the school years before when I attended Troutbeck Primary School. I started at St. Anne's after my parents divorced, and my mother, Kathrine Ploder, worked as a violin teacher for many years.

This is where I will never forget the kindness of the school. Due to my difficult home situation, a place and kitted out with a second-hand uniform for my five years there. Think of what that incredible opportunity did for me—not only did it provide a great foundation for my education, but it also gave me friends for life.

I hope I worked hard to repay this generosity. Although living in Norway for the past 41 years hasn’t improved my written English much, so please excuse me!

Life works in mysterious ways. During my time at St. Anne's, I did years of voluntary work at Holehird, the Cheshire Home next to the school. In Sixth Form, I took charge of a project to bring the residents over to join us for coffee in the Sixth Form room and weekend lectures. It took a lot of persuasion to convince Mr. Jenkins, the Headmaster, and Mr. King, the Director of the Cheshire Home, but I was determined to make it happen.

The residents enjoyed their time with us, and I was happy to hear that this became an ongoing project for the school. It was during this time I realized I had a knack for being the ‘middle man’—helping those who needed it.

After St. Anne's, I went to teacher training college at Bretton Hall, University of Leeds. I was there during the miners’ strikes, living in that community and learning so much about life. My first teaching job was in a special school in I received fantastic support as a new teacher. After five years, I felt it was time to teach mainstream students, and that’s when my adventure began.

One day, I happened to buy The Times newspaper, and I saw a job advertisement for the British School in Stavanger, Norway. I’d barely heard of Norway, but I applied, got the job for one year—and that was 41 years ago! I’ve never looked back. Norway is such a beautiful country, and I feel so lucky to live here. That said, I visit England every year to stay connected to my roots—wearing pearls and drinking tea!

I moved to Norway at 27 years old in 1983, married a Norwegian man, Kristian, and we have a daughter, Kjersti. Learning the language was a major challenge, especially as everyone speaks excellent English. But I persevered, taking many courses over the years, and felt proud when I finally achieved my goal—remembering our school motto.

I’ve held many roles in education, ultimately spending 28 years in a special unit. During this time, I developed a teaching programme called Learning English with Teddy (www.teddylanguage.no). It’s designed to teach young children and those with special needs functional English. English is Norway’s second language, but there were no suitable materials to teach it. It took five years to write, from the Norwegian government, I published it. The programme has gained significant publicity and taken me to places like Ghana and Nepal, where I piloted it in schools.

Sitting in a remote school in Nepal, gazing at the Himalayas, I realised I had conquered myself and succeeded. The challenges I faced along the way only made the achievement sweeter.

I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, and I’m certain the years at St. Anne's laid the foundation for my personal and professional growth. The motto remains: think positively, never give up, and always remember "Vincit qui se vincit"— but don’t forget to have fun along the way!

Julie Monsen (Ploder)
1969–1974