Eva ANDRÉ (TBS 21) - "building a life with the things that make us happy and thrill us"

Eva André, TBS graduate and deep-sea diving enthusiast.

You entered TBS in Master 1, what is your best memory?

I was lucky enough to be a member of the humanitarian office and to go and study for four months on the Barcelona campus, which allowed me to meet some incredible people and have some very strong human experiences.

Tell us about your background and your performance in deep diving?

My background is quite atypical. During my gap year between my Master 1 and my Master 2, I did my first internship in a school with an alternative pedagogy that was opening for its first school year. I ended up spending my entire gap year in this school. I taught maths and science to the students. This incredible experience gave me a taste for teaching and contributed to my choice to go into the education sector and more specifically into alternative education.

Shortly before this course, I had discovered deep sea diving and decided to train seriously in this discipline. In 2019, I participated in my first competitions. Finally, after a year of inactivity due to the pandemic, I managed to qualify for the French team after several good dives in competition in Ville-Franche-sur-Mer. And last September, I flew to Cyprus to participate in the world championships. During the competition, I made a dive to 77 meters and ranked 7th in the championship.

What advice would you give to the TBS alumni who are reading us?

Have the courage to do what you love! When you follow a classical academic path, it is not always obvious that there are other paths. You have to find the right balance between "keeping your feet on the ground" and allowing yourself to dream a little and try to build a life with the things that make you happy and vibrant. Freediving and teaching were not really paths that I was planning to take when I left the preparatory school, and yet...

One last question, has the alumni network been a support for you? If yes, how did it help you?

Thanks to the TBS Alumni network, I met Mr François Martinez, founder of Wesys Consulting who sponsored me and financed my 2021 freediving season. It is thanks to him and the network that I was able to participate in the World Championships. I am extremely grateful and see that there is a real mutual aid and trust between the former members of TBS.

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