Since childhood, I have been fascinated by the constantly changing world that we live in, wanting to understand and explore the causes and effects of current and future human interactions. During my teenage years I started listening to the BBC World Service and reading internationally recognized journals and magazines. I have become convinced that a third level education relevant to world affairs would help me gain knowledge that would allow me to pursue a wide range of possibilities. My current career ambition is to find a suitable role within an international organisation, such as the UN, ideally with specific focus on assisting people who have been displaced due to civil unrest, war, famine or other natural disaster.

I was born in Australia to a family of political refugees who had escaped communist Czechoslovakia. After my country’s Velvet Revolution, my family returned to Prague, the capital of a then newly formed democracy. This radical change helped to widen my perspective and see the world from a different point of view. Today I am a bi-national avid traveler, having visited more than 40 countries. I have attended six exchange programmes with partner schools: one in Sweden, one in Germany and four in France. I have also been on two volunteer programmes with Earthwatch, firstly being in Spain, where we helped gather information to design marine protected areas and then in Tanzania, helping to determine the impact of forest fragmentation through monitoring rainforest bird populations. The Tanzanian expedition in particular was an eye opener, not only because of the local cultural differences and the poverty, but also because of the amount of teamwork and hardship we had to face living in a remote area like the Usambara Mountains. The experience also made me aware of how foreign countries and NGOs are helping to alleviate the poverty in Tanzania.

At school, my position as the only girl in my class has ensured that I have maintained a somewhat independent approach to my studies. I have chosen a broad range of subjects for my Final Exams, not only because I like challenges, but also because I believe I will obtain a lot of all-around knowledge and skills from them: Mathematics and Physics have helped me understand the physical and abstract world around me, while Czech and English have shown the beauty of literature, which has become a great passion for me, Herman Hesse being my favourite author. I currently represent my school in the Prague Model of the United Nations, where I am I delegate for Germany in the Third Committee.

Aside from academia, I have a passion for a number of hobbies. Ever since I first visited Egypt, as a 12 years old, I have enjoyed egyptology, with all the facts and mysteries surrounding it. I enjoy the arts in many aspects opera has a special place for me, as my mother was, in her youth one of Czechoslovakia’s most promising opera singers. I also enjoy Photography, particularly black and white. I held a small exhibition of my work in Prague last year. As a child I enjoyed ballet, and even competed in local events. Now, sports have become more important to me: while being in the Czech Quiksilver Snowboarding team, I have achieved commendable results in freestyling contests on a national level. I am looking forward to improve my technique and hope to participate in international competitions. Every Summer I spend at least one month in France perfecting my French. Apart from speaking fluent French, English, Czech and Slovak, I have been studying German at school and have also been trying to self-study Hebrew. I am a active member of Mensa, Net-Aid.org, Greenpeace and the Czech–Japanese association.

I look forward to the challenges and opportunities that studying in the UK will present. I value very greatly the chance to be a part of such a reknowned institution as your college is, and I believe that in some small way I may add to its whole, through my personality, work effort and experiences to date.