Despite living in Norway for almost my entire life, I have always felt a strong connection to the United States. During high school, I started researching American universities, and over my senior year I committed to UCLA.
Though my experience at UCLA has been fantastic, after learning more about Princeton in recent months I have come to realize how incredible of an opportunity it would be to spend my final two years of my undergraduate career there and to be a part of this community for a lifetime. I am looking for an academic environment that cherishes the idea of supporting the aspirations of individuals from all backgrounds—not to mention languages. I think Princeton really embodies this idea, with a diverse student body representing a range of perspectives, interests, and cultures. I am a firm believer that you can learn as much from your peers as you can from your professors. Princeton seems to offer students an environment comparable to a large family that supports its students across a vast array of future endeavors. The strong relationship with the Princeton community that both students and alumni maintain is something I wish to become a part of as I pursue my academic and athletic aspirations.
For as long as I can remember, track and field has been instrumental in my development as a dedicated athlete, student, and teammate. For this reason, I cannot make a decision to transfer schools without feeling like it is the right move for me both academically and athletically. As a high school student, I would have loved to go to a school with top-notch academics like Princeton, but it felt a little too far out of my comfort zone academically, and I worried I couldn’t achieve what I wanted on the track. During my time at UCLA, I have qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and broken numerous Norwegian national records in the process, all while having success in the classroom. Having learned from my experience at UCLA and my brother’s experience so far at Princeton, I am more confident academically and athletically. I believe that Princeton will not only let me continue pursuing my goal of winning an Olympic medal, but help me in the process. Princeton has a long history of supporting world class athletes who concurrently maintain a quality education.
Last year, leading up to the Pac 12 conference championships, I suffered a back injury that set me out for three months. However, I was determined to score points for my team, and luckily, I was cleared to compete a week prior to competition. Not only did it feel great competing and doing well individually, but knowing that I gave it all for my team was a dream come true for me. Another quality about Princeton that I have learned from my brother is that Princeton’s track team is made up of dedicated student athletes that put in maximum effort both in the classroom and on the track. This team spirit and winning attitude is something I would love to be a part of, not only for the reasons already discussed, but also the chance to be a part of a community that I can give back to as an athlete and teammate during and after my undergraduate