On a regular basis throughout the year we will be featuring one of our alumni who will tell us what they have been up to since graduation and provide current Minis with valuable advice and insight.
Featured June 2018
THEN
NOW
What have you been doing since graduating from the Mini?
A lot has happened since I graduated from Point Grey Mini School. In August 2016, I moved to Seljord, Norway and attended a gap year school, also known as Folkehøgskule, where I specialized in "Friluftsliv", which essentially means "outdoor life" in Norwegian. I kayaked the Telemarks Canal in September, Summited Mount Kilimanjaro in November, x-country skied across Hardangervidda in April and trekked to Everest Base Camp in May. When I wasn't busy prepping for those bigger trips, I was out exploring and learning how to dog sled or ice climb, or I was at the school knitting sweaters and drinking tea. After the school year was over, I went to Iceland with some friends from Folkehøgskule and then flew back to Vancouver for the summer. In September 2017, I moved back to Norway and started working at a café in downtown Oslo. Since then I've worked full time and used every day off to explore different parts of Norway. Currently I am waiting to hear back from the University in Trondheim, as I hope to begin a 5 year integrated masters of Architecture there in the fall.
What is your favourite Mini memory?
Pinpointing my favourite Mini memory is impossible. There are too many amazing things that happened to me over those five years. However, a memory that does stick with me was Mini Prom in Grade 12. There was a group of us in charge of doing the decorations and seeing it all come together the night of was absolutely phenomenal. There were some hiccups with timing for photos etc. but all in all it was an amazing night that I will cherish for a long time. It really showed me what we could achieve as a class and as a group when we all put our everything into something.
What advice can you give to Mini students while in school and once they have graduated?
My advice to Minis is to live life to the fullest. After being in school for 13 years straight, you are allowed to take a year off. You are all extremely hard working people and a year off, or two, can do you a world of good. I have learnt so much from these two years off, about myself and the rest of the world, which I would never have learnt from a textbook. It's important to enjoy what you are doing and to focus on what makes you happy and what challenges you in a positive way. Everyone's in such a rush to be the best, brightest and smartest, however, what's important is enjoying what you are doing and if not, finding what does make you happy.
What have you gotten out of your Mini experience?
I think it would be easier to answer what I haven't gotten from my Mini experience. Being a part of the Mini is like being a part of a family. Your teachers become your friends, your classmates become your siblings and your school becomes your home away from home. The Mini has given me a place to push myself and challenge myself in the best possible way. I have had the opportunity to be taught by the most amazing and caring teachers and I have met friends that I'll have for life. What more could I ask for?