Aurore Belfrage
It's a family tradition to study at SSHL!
Our alumni Aurore Belfrage attended the Swedish Natural Science Programme and graduated in 1997. She was a boarding student at Berga.
What are you doing today?
I do a little bit of everything, all under the umbrella of “The Green Transition”. I invest in early stage tech startups, I sit on company boards, I run the think tank Sustechable, I am the co-author of a book about how climate impacts the geopolitical landscape, I act as an advisor in various entities including the Swedish Growth Agency, Expo 2020, and more. I have also previously been a writer at SVD for their editorial and business page and worked as an investor at EQT Ventures.
Why did you choose SSHL?
It’s a family tradition! My sisters, my mother, father, and my uncles went here.
What did your time at the school mean to you?
Some periods in life are long, but have a small impact. Other periods are short, but have a big impact. So was my time at SSHL – short but with a big impact. I met my absolute best friends there, the people who will go to bat for me in life. It became a home that continues to influence me to this day – I wouldn’t be able to do what I do now without the friends I met at SSHL.
How has attending SSHL benefited you?
One of the big advantages was that I received an international high school education – in Sweden. Partly because it suited me as a person, but it also gave me a much broader perspective in life. Back in my days, SSHL was one of the few places you could get this. Boarding school life is a good opportunity to build your independence in a safe environment. I learned to think for myself.
Do you have a favorite memory from your time at the school?
A memory – or rather a feeling – that I haven’t felt either before or after SSHL is the absolutely idyllic experience of going out at six in the morning and carrying a very heavy rowing boat down to the lake and being able to row out in the early morning mist. Being one with nature in your own bubble was an impactful experience. And then Lucia! One year I got to experience what I had heard about but didn’t think was true – I flew over Sigtuna on the very morning of Lucia and saw all the outdoor candles burning on campus. It was magical!
Do you stay in touch with other alumni from SSHL?
Some of them are my absolute closest friends today, so yes! I also have some friends from SSHL that I see a little from time to time. But, I also meet alumni all the time that I didn’t go to school with, and even though we did not know each other at the time, there is a bond that brings us together immediately.
What do you want to say to students who go to SSHL today?
It is so incredibly important that we all use our education, ability, and power, and contribute to the net zero target. As President Obama so wisely said: “We are the last generation who can do something about it.”
