In the fall, Simon Foldvik (27) from Fredrikstad will study mathematics at Oxford University in England. There he will obtain a second master's degree in mathematics.
Can't do it without her
To fund the studies, which Foldvik estimates will cost upwards of half a million kroner, he was recently selected as one of the few recipients of an Acker grant.
This scholarship is awarded each year to 20-30 ambitious young people who want to contribute to society.
The board that decides which candidates will receive the scholarship consists of Gro Harlem Brundtland, Kjell Inge Rucke, Anne Grete Eidsvig, Tore Myerholt, and Øyvind Eriksen.
-I wouldn't have been able to do this if I hadn't gotten the scholarship. “This is definitely a very good opportunity for me,” Foldvik tells Facebook.
– It's set up so that you don't, for example, need to have a side job. He adds that with the Aker Scholarship, you have the opportunity to focus solely on your studies.
Quit from work
Today, Foldvik works at Bekk, a consultancy in Oslo.
They develop digital services for businesses, working holistically with technology, design and strategy
However, Foldvik has now taken time off work so that he can go to Oxford to study.
– It is a study consisting of three semesters in one year. “I don't start from scratch, I build on what I already have,” Foldvik explains.
– Opportunities are more important
But this is not the first time Foldvik has excelled. When he was 18 and in his third year on the science course at Greåker, he did something that few others had done.
He took an undergraduate course in mathematics at the University of Oslo. This is after completing 1T, R1 and R2 during the first two years.
Every Wednesday after school he traveled to Oslo to attend lectures, before returning to his home in Fredrikstad.
– I had a committed teacher who was keen to give me opportunities to develop myself, he says and adds:
It is often said that what gifted students need are greater challenges. I think it's important to focus on giving these students opportunities. You won't gain anything by putting aside a larger Sudoku board.
He uses himself as an example of this only. When Foldvik started the science course at Greåker, many of his classmates had already taken the 1T course in high school.
– I didn't know there was an opportunity to do this. If I had known, I would have done it too,” Foldvik says.
– It is important to have a real opportunity to use one's potential, he continues.
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