Grace Thévenet's Story

Story #14

Grace, a French national, found herself in an unexpected adventure when she decided to move to Helsinki, Finland 6 years ago.

It was through a mixed Spanish-Finnish friend that she got introduced to the Finnish culture. Her curiosity and desire to live a new experience in a northern country led her to visit Finland, where she immediately embraced the allure of a new country filled with the wonders of Nordic landscapes and the mysteries of a foreign culture.

​As she settled into her new home: Helsinki, Grace excitement and enthusiasm for her new life in Finland were matched only by the challenges that came her way. As she embraced the Finnish culture, she soon realized that navigating daily life without knowing the language proved to be quite a hassle. Added to this, Grace also faced the daunting reality of being unemployed. 

​Undeterred, Grace knew exactly what she wanted to do. She mapped her skills and her strengths, and with the right mindset she set out for an opportunity where she could build skills and knowledge. Soon enough, Grace found a job in a startup company as an intern. This experience rendered her with the first glimpse of the Finnish job market, strengthen her resilience, and encouraged her to keep moving forward.  

​Grace embarked on a journey to learn Finnish, determined to connect with her newfound community on a deeper level. She took part of the integration course provided by TE-Toimisto. Her experience with Familia started when she visited an employment fair.  She applied to a Palkkatuki position and got the job. Grace immersed herself in the Finnish working culture, cherishing every opportunity to learn and grow.

​Some of her projects at Familia include “Puolisonpolkku”, focused on employment for foreign partners in intercultural couples, and Munduo. Grace also worked with volunteer activities, Duo groups, expert assignments, and trainings for professionals about volunteering, and couples and family counselling.

​In retrospect, Grace considers Familia as a stepping stone in her professional career. She said, “Familia was the perfect environment not just to activate my Finnish language skills, but also a place where I unravelled my strengths and interest in project development.” 

She highlights the importance of NGOs as project incubators. She observed, “NGOs are a great place to come up with an idea, develop it, test it, and make it work. If the project succeeds, it can easily be replicable. The potential is endless!” ​

After her tenure at Familia, Grace found a job opportunity in the City of Espoo- particularly in the Employment Services Unit, where she served as Coordinator. Her goal was to create a service that would complement the job of career counsellors. The target group was highly educated immigrants and the mission support their career development.  The Career Club was carefully curated and launched in 2021.

​When thinking about her personal goals, she envisions herself in an expert position more closely to policy drafting and lobbying at a regional scale. 

Helping others find their footing in a foreign land has been her mission, and she encourages individuals from all walks of life to not limit themselves. Drawing from her own experiences and the challenges she had explored; she offers invaluable guidance to those in search of opportunities. “Open your horizon, find a fertile environment where you can develop your potential while feeling comfortable. Be aware of all your options and settle for one, always knowing your own limits!”.

Grace also stresses the importance of trust. “Finding people who trust your skills and capabilities on a practical level is crucial. These are the people who will give you the opportunity to do a good job. In my case, Familia gave me the platform to be the best version of myself. This is one of the most beautiful things about Familia- they give you the opportunity to showcase your potential”.

​Grace currently is a Planner Officer and runs the career development services at City of Espoo. She is also part of Familia’s Board. 

editor: yvette ahonen