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Sophie Bramall’s career path is a remarkable testament to adaptability, a thirst for global adventure, and a commitment to continuous, hands-on learning. Since leaving NULS in 2019, her journey has spanned multiple continents, blending international seasonal work with the acquisition of valuable technical and mechanical skills. This unique global education has culminated in an exciting pivot toward International Business Administration in Bern Fachschule, Switzerland.
Sophie’s sense of adventure, which defines her career today, was cultivated early during her time at NULS. She enthusiastically immersed herself in the school’s more adventurous offerings, serving as a consistent and avid member of the CCF and actively participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award. “They were honestly the highlights of my school years,” Sophie reflects. “They gave me experiences you just can’t get in the classroom—real-world lessons, confidence, and independence.” This adventurous spirit was further fuelled by mentors, including her Geography teacher who sparked her curiosity about the world’s climate and glaciers, ultimately inspiring her interest even more in skiing and global exploration.
Demonstrating incredible resolve, Sophie’s global adventures began immediately after leaving school. Her initial steps led her straight to the mountains of Japan, where she spent five months working as a Ski Instructor in Naeba. This high-energy role was quickly followed by a stint in the Caucasus mountains of Georgia, securing cross-cultural experience. This bold, immediate move defined her early career mindset. Sophie notes: “Moving abroad straight from school felt natural. I faced challenges… they didn’t seem like problems at the time – just part of the adventure.” This period was also a practical masterclass in communication: “Teaching skiing taught me so much about communication – a lot of our clients didn’t speak English or Japanese, so we had to rely on gestures and intuition. You learn to get the message across without words!”
The next major chapter opened in December 2020, with a definitive move to the high alpine environment of Davos, Switzerland. Sophie found her long-term base here, dedicating four full winter seasons to mountain instruction, primarily as a Ski Instructor. Showing a true capacity for cross-training, she used the quieter summer months to make a valuable pivot from snow sports to mechanical trade. She secured a role at Bike Academy Davos, where she learned the intricacies of bike mechanics while simultaneously mastering German. This commitment built a crucial, transferable skillset, blending mountain expertise with hands-on, technical problem-solving.
The end of summer 2024 marked a final significant strategic shift. Sophie relocated to Bern to take her next ambitious step: further education. Having consolidated her real-world expertise — managing logistics in international seasonal industries, technical problem-solving, and cross-cultural communication — she has now enrolled to study International Business Administration at the Bern University of Applied Sciences. This new chapter blends her global experience with academic backing, proving that the best leaders are often those who learn outside the classroom also.
When asked what advice she’d give current students considering a less traditional path, Sophie shared three powerful takeaways:
A huge thank you to Sophie Bramall for sharing her story with us. Her journey reminds us that growth often begins where comfort ends, and that curiosity and courage can take you around the world — and right back to the classroom, stronger than ever.
Newcastle under Lyme School’s youngest pupils have raised over £5000 for Cancer Research UK by completing a sponsored walk ‘from’ Newcastle-under-Lyme to Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia.
Louis Bond: “The site of the camp was much larger than I had ever expected. Much of the camp was destroyed, but there were the cabin like structures at the front of the complex which were tiny in comparison to the number of people who were forced to stay in them. At the rear of the
Mount Pleasant, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 1DB
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