Introducing new communications manager Anne Marie Simonsen
Hi! My name is Anne Marie Simonsen and I come from Copenhagen, Denmark.
I am going to be working as a Communications Manager for Exponential Education. I am very excited to get started and feel ready to dive into my new responsibilities in Kumasi.
As my family is spread all over the world, I have travelled a lot and lived abroad for various periods ever since my childhood, which has made me addicted to travelling and exploring new countries. I have spent time in Asia, New Zealand, the US and Europe as a student and volunteer. After high school, I spent one year studying film and playing college tennis at the University of California, Riverside. After coming back to Denmark, I started my undergraduate studies at Roskilde University, where I also hold an International B.A. and an International M.A. in Communication Studies and Global Studies from. I have always been drawn to Africa, as I had a lot of African friends growing- up, and which is also why I during my undergraduate studies, tried to specialize on politics, social movements, development and ICTs in Sub-Saharan Africa. And eventually, I decided to take a minor in African Studies at the University of Copenhagen as a part of my master studies.
As a part of my M.A., I also worked one year as a communication intern at the Danish Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which was both a challenging and rewarding experience, but now feels like my second home. While living in Bangladesh, I biked along the coast from the south to the mangrove forest in the west on a rickshaw to fundraise for the endangered tigers in Bangladesh. That was one of the most fun, but also most challenging experiences I have ever had.
After graduating, I worked as an international press and social media manager at the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, which focuses on directors from developing countries, which combined my interest for film and development issues.
I was drawn to Exponential Education for several reasons, but in particular because of their program model and the fact that I will be able to combine all of my interests and my passion for development, education and ICTs in Africa. I am more than exited to become of part of the community in Kumasi, meet all of the kids in the schools and roam around Ghana with my new roommates.
