The third-generation King’s student grew up hearing stories of FYP—now, she’s learning how to live and tell her own.
Vivi Brodin and her siblings grew up listening to their mother, Christina McKay, BA(Hons)’93, tell stories about her time at King’s and in the Foundation Year Program (FYP). Brodin’s favourite: “She told us about when they would read the Epic of Gilgamesh, everyone would just scream, ‘no, Gilgamesh, don’t go into the cave again!’” The stories charmed them all. Her brother, Tim, enrolled in FYP in 2021, and this year, Vivi and her twin sister Linnea followed suit. Their grandfather, John McKay, ’58, was a King’s student too!
Receiving the Brian Sherwell Award, Brodin says, is “unbelievable,” and a huge help in alleviating the financial stress of sending twins to university. Brodin and her sister are living at home, which has its pros and cons. “It’s nice to be able to go home, but there is definitely a separation between residence life and at-home life.” The two are used to being in the same school and classes, and Brodin is grateful for being together as they navigate university. “You have a built-in buddy for everything, and you can truly understand each other since you’re going through similar stages of life at the same time.”
While Brodin hasn’t heard anyone yelling at Gilgamesh to stay out of the cave, she has been just as enamoured with FYP as her mom was. “They say that you don’t really notice the difference or the importance of it until after, but I can already see that it’s going to affect my life for a very long time. You really get a little existential. You talk about life all the time, and you’re figuring how it works, and that no one really knows how it works…and you’re finding peace in that.”
This summer, Brodin is heading to Sweden, where she lived until she was six, to improve her language skills and learn about Swedish art history.
As for her post-FYP dreams, Brodin has hopes of working with kids, becoming a dance teacher and eventually going into social work—a goal that feels more attainable thanks to the Brian Sherwell Award. “I probably wouldn’t be able to afford to do a Master’s without it,” she says.
What are your favourite Swedish customs?
The concept of “just enough,” called lagom, or moderation, governs many aspects of life, emphasizing balance. It’s the Goldilocks of concepts. And during Midsummer, we sing a song about how silly frogs are and how they don’t have any tails or ears.
Your favourite Swedish word or phrase?
I’ve always loved the saying “Glida in på en räkmacka” which translates to “glide in on a shrimp sandwich.” It’s when someone has an easy time with something, which is a nice thing to strive for. It also just sounds like a fun thing to do!
Favourite current song to dance to?
I just finished some choreography to “Sea Swallow Me Whole,” by the Cocteau Twins. It was fascinating to create movements inspired by its subjective lyrics. For example, in the chorus, it sounds like she’s singing “horizontal moth,” which sparked a particular sequence of us stretching our arms like moths. I don’t think choreography is ever truly finished; it continues to evolve, flow and change.
What was your mom’s reaction when you got into FYP?
She was over the moon. It was her favourite year of all her years of university. She’s always imagining playing hooky from work to listen in on lectures.
The Brian Sherwell Award is open to day students from Halifax and is valued at $50,000 ($12,500 per year). The award is made possible through the generous bequest of Mr. Brian Sherwell, BA’48, in recognition of the support he received while a student at King’s.
