It’s been almost nine years since Pema joined THINK Global School during our inaugural year, and since then she’s kept herself remarkably busy. After graduating from the University of Melbourne, Pema returned home to Bhutan to pursue her true passion: playing football, which she now does for the Bhutan’s Senior Women’s National team. Thanks to Pema for sharing what she’s been up to since graduating TGS, and good luck in all of your football matches to come!

Hi Pema, can you tell us what you’ve been up to since graduating from THINK Global School?

I went to Clark University for a year and then took a semester off before I decided to transfer to the University of Melbourne. I graduated in July last year and returned to Bhutan in September.   After a month of being home, I was called to play for Bhutan’s Senior Women’s National Football team, so I left to train at the academy and have been there since March of this year. The past few months I have just been at home applying for jobs and playing football for a local club.

Pema at her University of Melbourne graduation

5 Years After Graduating with the Inaugural TGS

Do you feel your experiences at THINK Global School prepared you for life, post-graduation? If so, how?

Yes, absolutely. The experiences from TGS made it is so much easier to connect with people, especially at university so the transition from high school to college for me was quite smooth. The whole experience has really transformed me and I want to thank everyone for it, especially Joann. It’s hard for me to point to a situation or put into words how it has and I wish I could. Hopefully friends reading this can understand what I mean.

Could you share with us your favorite THINK Global Experience and your favorite experience since graduating?

This one is a hard one, can I say every single day at TGS was a favorite? Honestly, I’m pretty easy so just to be alive is pretty amazing and to be alive, learning whilst traveling the world with a bunch of really smart and cool kids + teachers…..what more could I have asked for? As for life after TGS, college has been pretty lit for me, being home with my family and not to mention to play for the national team is quite the treat.

Pema and her university team in Australia

What advice would you give to this year’s graduating class?

Don’t be hard on yourself, be patient, keep being you and be kind to one another.

Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Talking about the future and planning has always been a tough one for me, but I would say five years from now I would hopefully either be working my “dream job” or doing my masters.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Please, let’s not let our beautiful mother Earth die.