Emelie Goransson, Sweden 2009-2010

HOST FAMILY: DENNIS AND ELAINE STILL

I'm Emelie Goransson. I'm 20 years old and I live with my parents and my two year
younger sister in Åhus, a village in the south of Sweden. My father, Ole, is the
head of a painting company (don't really know the English name for that kind of
company but they paint houses etc.), my mother, Kristina, teaches at the nursing
programme at the local university, and my sister, Marianne, is still in high
school with the goal to become a hair dresser.
> 
> Well, now some information about me. I graduated high school in June 2008 and
since then I have been studying development studies at the Department of Social
and Economic Geography at Lund University. At high school I attended the
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme which I actually believe is more
similar to the American school system than the Swedish school system.
Nevertheless, attending an international programme meant all my classes were
supposed to be thought in English which certainly has improved my English.
> 
> During the last three years I've been involved in the Swedish United Nations
Association, mainly through Model United Nations but also through some local
campaigns. This has been very interesting as we have had the possibility to
discuss many global issues. 
> 
> However my biggest interest is scouting and I'm active at both local and
national level. I've been a leader of a group of ten to twelve year old scout
(both boys and girls) since I was sixteen. This has been both fun and developing
as it has helped me improved my leadership qualities. At the same time I try to
find some time to be a rover scout. For example I just got home from Austria
where fulfilled the Explorer Belt which is an award which promotes adventure and
self-reliance in an international context.

Emelie Goransson  attended the University of Georgia as a part of the GRSP Class of 2009-2010.  She was sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Braselton, Jefferson and South Gwinnett.