From ISZL to the UN with Romane Tholomé ('18)

ISZL students are encouraged to follow their questions as far as they’ll go, and sometimes, they lead around the world. That mindset helped 2018 graduate Romane Tholomé navigate an international education, a university career spanning SciencesPo and Columbia, and early work at the UN. Along the way, she discovered that not knowing exactly where you’re going can be a strength, when your values and passion point the way.

Written by Romane Tholomé

Prior to arriving at ISZL in 8th grade, I had the opportunity to experience a variety of educational settings. These included French public school, American public school, a French school abroad, and a small international school. When I finally arrived at ISZL, where I remained until my high school graduation, it was like finding the perfect blend of academic rigor from the French school system, ideal class sizes typical of international schools, and the well-rounded and open approach to education in the United States.

In this enriching environment, I not only expanded my knowledge but also began to understand my place in the world. This evolution was facilitated by everyday classroom experiences, such as witnessing Mr. Koch’s enthusiasm during discussions about solutions to global issues, accompanied by impromptu history lessons with his world map, or Ms. Lordet’s efficient and cheerful math teaching (which to this day remains unparalleled), or learning about current events through an economic lens in Mr. Dalesio’s class.

I absorbed these lessons, gradually forming my own opinions and developing critical thinking skills. To me, the culmination of these experiences was leading a PDW trip to Ghana at the Kokrobite Chiltern Center in 2017. Unfortunately, I fell quite ill in the first few days and was unable to contribute to the physical work we had planned. However, this meant that I spent most of the days following Jane Zohungbogbo around on her daily errands and discovered what life was like running a grassroots NGO. This experience provided a behind-the-scenes look at the efforts involved in running such organisations and left a lasting impression on me.

Upon my return to ISZL, I collaborated with fellow students and Mr. Koch to create a sustainable and ethical initiative aimed at providing clean water to Kokrobite’s community. Through this project, I learned the essentiality of empowering communities, amplifying local voices, and involving local leadership in development projects. This mindset, shifting from local to global perspectives, continues to guide my endeavors. The project extended into my university years, while I pursued a dual degree in economics and sustainability with a concentration on Sub-Saharan African studies at SciencesPo Paris and Columbia University. Despite juggling different time zones and schedules, we made progress, and today the Kokrobite community has a functional clean water pump, although much work still remains.

My university courses built on these experiences, allowing me to deepen my involvement with Kokrobite’s Chiltern Center and start contributing my own expertise. Today, I serve on the board of trustees for the Kokrobite Chiltern Center, and remain engaged in various projects like leading a small, local, Ghanaian team in developing an aquaponics prototype during my second visit to Ghana in 2021.

During my university years, I also began to reflect on volunteer tourism, spurred by supporting Ms. Wasner’s PhD project on ethical community service during 9th and 10th grade. These reflections led me to write my bachelor’s thesis on ethical volunteer tourism, which inspired a new project – sustainable and ethical certification of volunteer tourism organisations. Collaborating with Mr. Koch and fellow ISZL alumni, Matteo Markel and Margot Laurie, this project remains ongoing, embodying the enduring passion of ISZL graduates for a broader, global impact.

While it might seem from reading this that I’ve had a cohesive path thus far, I’d like to conclude by saying I’ve never been certain about my life’s direction, and to a large extent, I still am not. However, the principles instilled in me during my time at ISZL have always guided me towards giving back to the world. I pursued courses that interested me, focusing on expanding my understanding of various disciplines. Without a rigid plan for a predefined future, I simply pursued fields which I found interesting such as ecology, biology, climate change and its solutions, economics of poverty, public health, and colonization/decolonization, among others.. Despite the pressure to have a clear trajectory, I believe in pursuing what captivates your intellect and broadens your worldview. Even after graduating university I was still unsure of what I wanted to do and spent a year doing various internships. This led me to a 6 month internship at the United Nations’s Headquarters in New York City where I was able to work in the Division for the Sustainable Development Goals (talk about a full circle moment, I remember learning about them in class when they were established back in 2015).

During my internship at the UN I learned of the Nature Conservancy, the oldest environmental NGO in the United States, and their work across the world in environmental conservation and empowering local communities to adapt to climate change and mitigate its impacts. I am now a development coordinator for them, based in New York City where I support their 2030 conservation goals. Concurrently, I continue to collaborate with Mr. Koch and other members of the ISZL community on exciting projects, maintaining a strong connection to the school. Who knows what else is to come, but that’s what makes life exciting!