Early vegetarian
Sophie Bruusgaard Jewett has, as her name suggests, an international background. The mother is half-Norwegian and brought her American boyfriend back to Norway after they met while studying in the United States. That’s why Jewett has American citizenship and a last name, and that’s why she always looked beyond national borders, even when she was growing up in Stabekk.
When she was growing up, her mother worked in corporate branding, while her father was a programmer. Like her parents, she enjoyed reading the most growing up and is still obsessed with science fiction.
– It was through reading that I opened my eyes to the climate issue, and at 13 I decided to become a vegetarian. I think that was the first time I realized that my choices could have a positive impact on the world around me, and that’s been the vision ever since.
Around her neck, Jewett has a pendant she received from her mother: “Dream big”. She says her parents always challenged her to be ambitious. Whenever she complained about something that was difficult, she got the response, “It builds character.”
– There are many things that can be criticized in American culture, but it is precisely the ability to think big that I brought with me. It’s important, if you’re going to work hard for something, that you have a dream big enough to make it worthwhile. I look forward to getting up in the morning to go to work every day.
She thinks.
– But the part of American culture that is individualistic appeals to me very little. What I really love about Norway is how much we care about the community. I’ve always dreamed of doing something big that will lead to positive change in the world. In that sense, I may have taken the best of American and Norwegian culture with me.
