What are you are doing currently?
Our school – Luderitz Blue School – is supported and is being built up together with Kelp Blue – an aquaculture company who are cultivating and growing giant kelp at scale offshore here due to the conditions of the Benguela Current. As a ‘Blue School’, the school has a marine focus and ocean literacy is embedded into our academic and extracurricular programme. The school is also leading the Namibian section of the Global Blue School Network coordinated by IOC-UNESCO. The town of Lüderitz is a remote, wild and wonderful place where the ocean meets the desert with many green and blue projects of global significance on the horizon. The school aims to be a beacon for conversation and blue education for the region and beyond. My time in Luderitz has been inspiring and it has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience to start up a school from the ground up. I have learned a great deal about resilience, creativity and the importance of staying positive and having grit while you start something up.
What A levels did you do at WHS?
German, Latin and Religious Education
Were there any extracurricular activities that you participated in whilst at school and how did they impact you?
I loved to sing and took part in choirs as well as performing arts. Growing up, I was always naturally shy and looking back I am very grateful that I was encouraged to take part in performances and productions to help with this.
In what ways did your time at the school help you ‘grow’ your resilience / courage/ curiosity?
We were always encouraged to be true to ourselves and to know what we stand for – these values have stayed with me and have helped as challenges have come along the way.
How did the all-girls environment at WHS impact your academic and personal growth?
The environment was comfortable and inspirational at school. We could speak out about topics which may be less comfortable in a co-ed school environment, and we could consider career paths which at that time were more male dominated without any reservations or insecurity.
What did you do after WHS? How does that relate to what you are doing now?
As I was interested in many things and was not sure what I wanted to study, I decided to study a Combined Honours BA at Newcastle University where I could study Philosophy and German. After graduating, I worked in various jobs between Germany and the UK before deciding to train to be a Primary School teacher. After qualifying, I worked in government, private and international schools in different places, before my career path led into Education Development. Working in different environments has helped me to be adaptable and flexible.
How did WHS help prepare you for life beyond WHS?
I remember WHS as a happy place where we were encouraged to find our passion and to chase it, whatever it was. It encouraged us to be bold and take risks!
What advice do you have for students considering a similar path?
- Definitely look at the qualifications you will need and take studies seriously, but do not underestimate the value and importance of getting experience on the ground, in the real world. There are plenty of opportunities in development to get stuck in and help to achieve something amazing!
- Don’t be afraid to take risks and step out of your comfort zone, as that is where growth happens and opportunities lie!
Never give up and surround yourself with relentless optimists who want to achieve the impossible, always give their best, support each other and don’t stop until they get there!
Thinking of a gap year or some time abroad?
Read about Luderitz Blue School’s internship opportunities below!
