Anna Skoulikari is a third year Economics student at the University of Bristol. She is the Co-Founder and Co-President of the Third Culture Kid Society, alongside Dalia Abuyasin.
Anna, you are the Co-Founder of Third Culture Kid (TCK) Society. What inspired you to start this at Bristol?
I went to a pub quiz at the Student Union’s Balloon Bar where I met a girl, Dalia, and I asked where she was from. She replied ‘It’s complicated’ and immediately I knew that she was a third culture kid like me. After talking for a while, she suggested that we create a society for Third Culture Kids. Initially, I was unsure because I was worried about the time commitment; however, after sleeping on it, I agreed. She and I are now the Co-Founders and Co-Presidents of the TCK Society.
Where are you from?
I was born in Germany, but I grew up in the Netherlands where I attended an American International School. Although, both my parents are Greek, I still feel a bit different when I am in Greece. In the Netherlands, I was immersed in a very international, expatriate environment, so I can’t say that I feel like I’ve completely grown up in a Dutch society either, even though I am aware of many of the Dutch customs and traditions. Sometimes, I just tell people I’m European because it’s a bit easier.
Could you tell me a bit more about TCK?
The official definition of a third culture kid is someone who has spent a significant amount of their developmental years in culture different to that of their parents’. Informally, it just refers to people who have attended international schools, those who have lived in a number of different countries or have misleading accents. Third culture kids can often feel like they may not completely belong to any one nationality or to any specific country.
Why do you think it’s important to have this society at Bristol university?
When you’re a TCK and you meet other TCKs, it’s usually very exciting because you often have common experiences and can relate to each other in some international way. If you look at the societies in our student union, there are many cultural and country based societies such as the Hispanic society, Hellenic society, etc., so I thought it would just make sense to have TCK society too. On an important note, we’re not purely exclusive to third culture kids; the society is open to anyone that wants to spend time in an international environment.
What do you think are the greatest challenges of being a TCK at university?
Probably the social aspect of meeting people that you can relate to and understand you. Luck plays a big role in these situations too, such as who you live with in first year and the diversity of your course. This is a society I wish I had existed in my first year so I’m sure others will be excited for it too.
What are your plans for the future?
I would like to become an entrepreneur and run my own business. Ultimately, I’d like to go back to Greece, but right after university I’m planning on going to the Netherlands. Obviously, this is still very up in the air. Running a society shares similarities with running a business, so co-founding the TCK society will be a really valuable experience. I am definitely hoping to learn a lot of leadership, team-working and organization skills.
Do you think being a woman and a TCK has an effect on your entrepreneurial ventures?
Having grown up in a privileged environment, I never really felt disadvantaged as a girl. But as I’ve gotten older and got out of my bubble, I’ve come to realize that this is obviously not true. When you look at the board of directors for both big and small companies, it’s obvious that it is very white, male dominated. I do feel that with our millennial generation, things are in the process of changing. Overall, I choose to maintain a positive outlook and hope for the best. Further, having an international upbringing is definitely positive factor for me because it allows me to approach situations from multiple angles.
Photo Credit: Anna Skoulikari