Hello,
My name is Leo Brodin and I'm a 22 years old journalism student at the Mid Sweden University (Miun). In the gymnasium I studied social science with focus on languages. When it comes to work experience I've been working for local papers in Stockholm during the summer the last two years and did a four months internship at a magazine as part of my studies this spring. I have also worked as a sports trainer a few weeks in the summer for seven years.
Why this course?
I know that the program Global trendwatching isn't exactly journalism, but it's related enough to be very useful for a journalist. Trends are news, I think you put it quite well in your flyer "Trend experts are needed more and more because trends and their implementation play a huge role in an everchanging world!". I doubt I'll become an expert in half a year but I think I'll have a large advantage when it comes to finding certain kinds of news. There is also the part about organisations making connections with the customers that I think can be applied to establishing contacts and sources as a journalist.
Ingemar Åttingsberg who is responsible for the journalism program at Miun also recommended us not to pick journalism to study as that might be repetition. He suggested picking something related to it instead and Global trendwatching fits that description very well in my opinion.
Why Netherlands and Amsterdam?
Four years ago when I finished the gymnasium I decided to study German for six months at the Alpadia language school in Freiburg. I loved my stay there and going abroad might have been the best decision I have made in my life. Not only did my German reach a level between B2 and C1 in the telc-system, I also learned many valuable lessons about responsibility and independence. And most of all I made many very good friends from five different continents, I still speak weekly to some of them.
When I got the list of universities that the Miun journalists can go to I decided that I wanted to go to a new country this time and also improve my English. As I loved Germany it's no long shot that I'll love the Netherlands too. The great English would also be a large step towards my goal to be able to work as a journalist in other countries than Sweden. Learning Dutch would also be great fun. I don't want to be speaking English to the cashier in the local supermarket for long.
I like biking, I like learning new languages and I like meeting new people, Hogeschool van Amsterdam just seems like a great choice.
Why should you pick me?
I like encountering different cultures. I was the only Swede that signed up as a mentor for the over 100 international students during the introduction weeks at Miun this september, the two others were old internationals. I worked with explaining things, showing the way and translating. A few days before the introduction was over my voice was completely gone. I stayed mute for three days but it was very much worth it.
Now my work as a mentor is over but I still help the internationals out with different questions. Many ask for info about my hometown Stockholm for example, as every exchange students want to visit it for a day or two. You could almost say I got two classes, the journalist one and the international one. Spending a semester in Amsterdam would be a dream come true once again, perhaps even better than my first time abroad as I will be studying more than just the language this time.
You also look for someone sharp and analytical, I think you can find some good indicators in "Some more about me."
How can I encourage others to study abroad?
Well, certainly with the review of our time abroad that we're supposed to send back to Miun but I am also already promoting it constantly. As far as I know six of around forty in my class are planning to study abroad and I have asked many of those who won't why and said that they should. When the best decision in my life so far already is to study abroad it's hard not to encourage others. I have been promoting studying abroad ever since I came back from Freiburg, I'm not sure if I have made anyone go but I do know that I have planted the idea in many minds. To be honest I think I might even be nagging a bit too much sometimes.
Some more about me.
Chess and running are two hobbies of mine. In chess I have won both the Swedish and Nordic team youth championship multiple times, in running I finished on 17th place at 800 meters. If I like something I usually go for it quite seriously aiming for the top. An exception is the humorous poetry that I like to write, often limericks, I just like to make people laugh. I did represent my school in a competition once, I was far from winning but I sure had the crowd laughing. I am also an actor when I get the chance, usually smaller roles but I have been the main character in a Swedish commercial.