Cecilia Walles

Cecilia graduated in 2021 after six years at SSHL. Already in seventh grade, she chose to study at SSHL, international IB MYP 2, mostly to challenge herself:

– At the time I was quite insecure both about the English language and about speaking in front of others, but that changed quickly thanks to the support from our teachers.

– When it was time to start high school, it felt natural for me to stay at SSHL. In the Business and Economics programme, and with a lot of inspiration from my mentor, I discovered my interest in international economics and politics, an interest that I have kept ever since.

What has your time at SSHL meant to you?

– SSHL has meant a lot to me. The teachers always encouraged us to think bigger, and the classroom discussions made you grow both in knowledge and confidence. The international environment gave me new perspectives and made the world feel both bigger and closer at the same time.

What Cecilia remembers the most are the morning assemblies:

– The sense of community was always so strong at our morning assemblies! I also think about everything around the academic studies that made my time at school so special: the student associations, UF companies, museum visits, projects, athletics competitions and school trips.

– In 2016, I went on a school language trip to the Chinese cities of Chongqing and Chengdu with my class in Mandarin and that was the starting point for my interest in the country and the culture.

What are you doing today?

– Today I work at YouGov with polls and lectures on social economics on behalf of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise. Next fall I plan to start studying for my master’s degree in China to further deepen my interest in politics and commerce, but also the Chinese language.

What would you like to say to our students of today?

– SSHL gave me both knowledge and courage, but above all a curiosity about the world that I still carry with me.

– My advice to today’s students is to be humble and kind to each other, to always dare to be curious and to take advantage of the opportunities that school offers – they can take you further than you think.

– And remember: the most fun is still ahead of you!