Geanette Jonsson

Student

“It’s the best thing I’ve done in my life: to move to another place in the world, to live here and to learn.”

There was a chill in the air of Santa Monica that made Geanette Jonsson’s thoughts turn towards home in Sweden. “In my little town the winters are cold, dark and long, and we usually just sit at home, watch TV and eat. And right now,” she says on a sunny October day with a near-audible shiver, “it’s becoming cold there already.” But fortunately, this is one dark Scandinavian winter that Geanette will be missing out on as she reinvents herself at SMC.

“I’ve always studied business and economics in school, and college is much tougher and more strict in Sweden,” she says. “I never had the time to study what I enjoy. But since I came here, I feel like I’m discovering a different side of myself. SMC is a very beautiful place, and I am growing so much with all these new experiences,” she adds. “Acting, photography, drawing and English: I have great teachers in all my classes. And there are so many classes offered here that I can never decide what to sign up for next,” she says with a laugh. “But I’m very happy with myself because if I hadn’t chosen to do this—to move to another part of the world and experience new people and places—I never would have done it. And I would regret that. Even my mom, who misses me so much, is really happy for me because I’m doing what I want to do.”

Geanette plans to join with a modeling agency to help pay for tuition, and would like to continue her studies her UCLA. “I’m very disciplined about my studies and all my classes are going well here,” she says. “Where I’ll be in ten years is a scary thing to think about. But wherever I am, I’ll be doing something that will let me explore, because that’s just the way I am. I need to always have a new challenge.”

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