Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Spring 2013 | Page 14

TA In t er n at io n al

International students on campus

Dorthe Bjerglund ’72 reminds us, this TA tradition is older than you think

It was 1971 and a young Danish
girl named Dorthe Bjerglund felt a
strong urge to explore the world.
When asked if she knew someone
who would host her school’s next
exchange student, she replied that
she wanted to go abroad herself.
With assistance from the
International Student Placement
Service, she was placed at Thornton
Academy. ”I come from a family that
has always welcomed strangers into
our home. But, in some indefinable
way, we always felt that our way was
the right way. We never felt curious
about the differences between
us,” said Bjerglund. At Thornton
Academy, Bjerglund encountered
students, parents, and teachers who
were interested in strangers and that
baffled her. ”This attitude was new
to me and I still try to emulate it. At
Thornton, I met a group of teenagers
that lifted each other up with their
warmth and their broad interests
and ambitions. It was a very special
atmosphere.”
”Thanks to my year in Maine, I have
been teaching English, Physical
Education, and Psychology at a
Danish high school for almost 30
years. Mr. Farrington’s American
government triggered my budding
interest in politics and Mrs. Patrick’s
Latin classes - teaching myths and
taking an excursion to a Boston art
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“I thought I knew what the world was like before I
came to the U.S. at the age of 16 in 1971. Thornton
showed me otherwise.”
museum and Sturbridge Village gave me a deep understanding of
culture and languages.”
The fun of rallies, football and
basketball matches bring back
fond memories for Bjerglund. ”The
Class of ’72 is still very close to
my heart.” She hopes to share her
TA experiences with her students
some day. ”I would like to bring one
of my English classes to Thornton
Academy for a week-long field trip
or to host a Thornton class at my
school. I would also gladly invite
people connected to Thornton to
my own home, should you ever be
around my part of the world.”

-KDL

MAKING CONNECTIONS: TA’s latest Annual
Report cover showcased Marie Vermund’s
athletic talent; the Danish student is a gifted
track and field competitor. Bjerglund ’72 and
Vermund ’13, who have attended TA forty years
apart, have discovered they share not only
Danish heritage, but a passionate love for TA.