Our Senior University Counsellor, Mark Chalkley, has been chosen one of the nine 2019 Counselors That Change Lives, the only international counsellor to receive the award this year – and we think the first UWC counsellor! This honour is given in recognition of Mark’s dedication to the college counselling profession and for promoting and supporting a student-centred college search process.

From their website:

“Dare to Fail.” The tattoo on Mark Chalkley’s arm is an outward symbol of his approach to helping UWC Red Cross Nordic students navigate their futures. Each year, Mark’s caseload includes approximately 100 seniors who come from 80+ countries with a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds and an equally eclectic assortment of post-secondary aspirations. He assists every one of them by finding the best match for their skills and interests in locations all over the world, frequently with no funding from home. More often than not, RCN students choose an opportunity abroad, sight-unseen. However, Mark’s careful counseling throughout the process also instills students with confidence in their abilities to transition to another culture and succeed in college. Originally from the UK, Mark Chalkley has been living on campus as the college counselor at Red Cross Nordic for over a decade, and his continued dedication to students is more than deserving of this honor.

Congratulations Mark!

Some current students have been especially enthusiastic to experience local outdoor possibilities; this was noticeable when they woke up one Sunday morning last winter and carried skis for an hour to a nearby skiing area, to then “ski on skins” up the slopes and spend the day romping on the slopes before walking back to campus.

With sub-zero temperatures and no snow over the last week, frost structures building beautifully on campus, conditions seemed perfect for a hike up Storehesten, the big mountain seen en route to Førde. After assembling a “matpakke” in the kantine, and a 40 minute drive, five student enthusiasts and a recently-arrived South Dakotan started walking around 10:15 in sub-zero sunshine. It was surprisingly warm, the path was frozen dry and a rapid pace saw us lose the sun around the expansive North slopes, to reach the top within 2 hours. Whoops of delight for the sunny panorama on top, the open ocean and islands 40kms west, Jostedal glacier 40 kms east and, below, the village of Bygstad covered in a thick layer of white frost, permanently shielded from winter sun by the hills on the south.

With the Christmas dinner set to start at 17:00, some haste was needed, resulting in a fine “jogge-tur” over the open slopes. A rest to explore the thick ice on a frozen lake, helped cool participants. Back at the car within 90 mins of the top, the gang managed (in footwear impressively ill-suited to the task) some thin lay-away moves up a pillar placed at the parking lot. All in all, deep appreciation for frost, ice, dry rough rock, (sort-of) warming sun, vast blue skies, 360 degree views through crystal clear air, and the fun of moving over a mountain in these winter conditions.