Che Hortop

1. Can you share a bit about your journey? Where are you from, and how has THINK Global School played an important role in your life?

Despite being born in the UK, I call New Zealand home. Before joining THINK Global School as a student, I spent my formative years growing up 30 seconds from the beach in a small village on the coast. Exploring the world with the school was a complete upheaval of this life I had grown used to. This consistent challenge prepared me for adult life and independent living beyond graduation.

2. As a former student and now a staff member, what aspects of THINK Global School’s educational model stand out to you the most?

The encouragement and guidance to explore and find my passions is something I find to be a stark contrast to traditional education. I had never felt this freedom before, I had never felt so emotionally invested in my work before, and I’m certain I had never learned about most of the topics I studied at TGS. As a staff member, I’m excited to help emulate that experience for the current students—work that I’m emotionally invested in, once again.

3. How does it feel to return to TGS, this time as part of the team? What are you most looking forward to in this new role?

There are many descriptors to describe how I’m feeling returning to TGS now as a staff member. There’s an air of nostalgia, a feeling of life coming full circle, and a nuanced battle between the comfortability of the community and the new world discovered by pulling back the curtain.

4. Reflecting on your time as a TGS student, what’s one of your most memorable experiences? How did travel shape your perspective during that time?

One of my most treasured memories as a student at TGS was celebrating my 16th birthday in Botswana. We were in the middle of the desert, with only our sleeping bags and a fire we had built on our own. Each with an hour-long shift in the night to watch for lions, and a hike up Eagle Rock awaiting us in the morning. I look back on this night as the moment I began to realize that I thrive within a community, and can rise to challenges no matter how unique.

5. What’s a book that has inspired you recently, and why does it resonate with you?

I would say the book that has played on my mind the most lately is The Fall by Albert Camus. It’s a provoking and well-written commentary on humanity and our innate nature to question ourselves. I find it particularly helped me to learn how to better reflect on my own mistakes productively. It’s a book I had to wrestle with to truly understand what my personal takeaways were—a challenge I very much enjoyed.