My inspiration

Hi! My name is Carla, and I am an International Business student here at Lapland UAS. I am originally from the UK but have been living here in Lapland for almost 5 years now, where I have spent this time working as a Snowmobile Guide in Salla – in the middle of nowhere. I spent my childhood watching and being inspired by countless Arctic documentaries, so as an adult I took the opportunity to pursue an adventure of a lifetime!

During my time as a Guide, living in a small Lappish village, I have become more interested in tourism and sustainable regional development. During Covid, when my working hours were limited, I seized the opportunity to learn more about tourism and develop my career by taking a Diploma in Tourism and Business Management at the Open University. I learned so much during this diploma, it helped me to understand how tourism operates within the business environment. It also laid the foundation for my degree and showed me a clear pathway for my potential career development!

With a desire to continue with my education, clear career goals and a wish to stay in Lapland, the International Business degree at Lapland UAS, with their focus on the Arctic operating environment and sustainability made it the perfect degree for me.

I believe that Rovaniemi is a versatile town that can fit the needs of every student, for example as a tourist town, there is plenty to do, adventure and nightlife wise. However, if you want to escape the hustle and bustle, the vast quiet Lappish wilderness that surrounds Rovaniemi is easily accessible. This is a unique aspect of Rovaniemi that sets it apart from other European student towns – there are not many towns where you can watch a reindeer race competition or go northern light hunting as a fun weekend activity.

My studies so far have been brilliant! I cannot thank the teaching staff enough for their support throughout my first year of studies, they have provided guidance and helped me to develop my confidence. The studies have been a great mix of lectures and practical projects. I really like how the course not only teaches you the theory but also provides ample opportunities to put it into practice, both independently and as a team.

The best thing from the course so far has been the Arctic Valley Business Simulation Game. This was a semester long simulation where we, as a team created a business, learning everything needed to run a business in Finland with the support from our fantastic course leaders. We had the opportunity to develop skills in accounting, marketing, sales, teamwork, and many other skills in an environment where we could experiment and learn through problem solving. During this course, we also had the opportunity of visiting real life successful businesses within Lapland, helping to understand what it takes to succeed in the Arctic operating environment. This was such a fun and enriching experience for me, really helping me to learn how to apply my newly learned skills in the real world.

Regarding the future and after graduation, I am excited to see what the future brings for me. I hope to be able to take the skills and knowledge from this degree and apply it with my work experience to develop my career in Lapland, hopefully contributing to sustainable development within the Arctic. It is hard to say exactly what I want to do after my degree, a part of me feels that my story isn’t over yet, education wise. Nevertheless, whatever the future holds for me I know the skills, knowledge and support I have received from this degree will put me in the best possible position to grab any exciting opportunity that heads my way!

Thank you for taking the time to read my story, I hope that Lapland UAS will provide you with the same opportunities and sense of inspiration that it has done for me.

– International Business student Carla –