is a French philosopher who teaches in high school and college, and the founder of several Montessori schools. She regularly speaks on French radio stations France Inter and RTL, as well as on the podcast she started in 2020, “Philosophy is sexy”. She's also the author of When You Kant Figure It Out, Ask a Philosopher: Timeless Wisdom for Modern Dilemmas (Little, Brown Spark, 2019).
Picture © Simon Lambert/Haytham-REA
For the following youngsters, aged 20 to 23, the pandemic has posed a range of professional difficulties. How has this multifaceted crisis affected their ambition? Were they ever forced to give up, adapt, or did it only strengthen their resolve... Philosopher Marie Robert reacts to their stories. Here, Justine explains how the crisis inspired her to take up civic service work.
Find the other testimonies and Marie Robert’s thoughts here:
➤ Laurie, 22, nursing student.
➤ Paméla, 22, business student.
➤ Mathias, 20, wildlife protection student.
➤ Gaëlle, 23, graphic designer.
Testimony and commentary collected by Anne-Sophie Moreau
Justine, 21, economic and social administration student:
“The pandemic has confirmed my desire to serve the greater good”
“I’m in my third year of economic and social administration (AES), and when the university closed, I was afraid of dropping out. I moved back in with my parents, because I couldn't bear to think what it would be like to spend lockdown alone in an 18m2 flat, with nowhere to go. And I almost had a breakdown. Between the fear of the virus and computer problems... I would panic and say to myself, “if the Wi-Fi stops working, I'll fail my exam!” But thankfully, my family would force me to step out and get some fresh air...
But the pandemic also taught me things about myself. Before, I used to be a bit of a loner. My release would come from swimming, which I’ve been doing since the age of ten – a solitary performance sport, where you don't rely on others. When I could no longer turn to swimming to escape, I found another form of support: that of other students. Together, we started opening up about our lives. Oddly enough, the situation made us closer! This made me want to connect more with others, and learn to work as part of a team... So I decided
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