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Ericsson may have left Tanzania eight years ago, but he remains intimately connected to his roots at St Jude鈥檚.  

鈥淲herever I go, St Jude鈥檚 will always be my home,鈥� says Ericsson, who is currently residing in the United Kingdom.  

The story of Ericsson and St Jude鈥檚 began at the beginning of the 2000s when the school was still in its early stages.  

鈥淚t was unlike any other school,鈥� recalls Ericsson. 鈥淚 was especially intrigued with the culture and diversity at the school along with the fact that St Jude鈥檚 offered free and quality education,鈥� says Ericsson. 

Ericsson realised the benefits of having a good foundation in education early on and so like any other aspiring scholar student, he applied for a scholarship at St Jude鈥檚 and hoped for the best.  

鈥淭he Scholarship Application process was a very rigorous one,鈥� recalls Ericsson. 鈥淚 had to sit for a series of oral and written tests. I don鈥檛 remember the tests as being easy,鈥� he adds with a smile.  

Ericsson soon became a regular face around campus. He would hang around the school as he waited for his results, eventually one day, Ericsson got the best news he was hoping for!  

鈥淚 think my journey with St Jude鈥檚 started when I received my school uniforms,鈥� Ericsson recalls fondly. 鈥淚 remember having daily training sessions with Angela, one of the earliest teachers at the school, on how to tie my tie 鈥� valuable life lesson for sure,鈥� Ericsson adds with a smile. 

Ericsson spent the next 13 years at St Jude鈥檚, exploring his passions and interests in a wide variety of subjects. The resources and supportive learning environment allowed him to freely develop and evolve his interests until he finally found his groove both academically and outside academics.  

鈥淎t first, I was fascinated with mathematics,鈥� says Ericsson. 鈥淭hen I ventured into other subjects like social studies, and the sciences, until I finally settled for extended business subjects like commerce, accounting and economics in secondary school years,鈥� says Ericsson. 

Outside the classroom though, Ericsson had only one passion. 

鈥淚 have always love football for as long as I can remember,鈥� says Ericsson passionately.  

While at St Jude鈥檚, Ericsson was a member of a local football academy and had dreams of playing professional football. As an emerging football talent, Ericsson took his passion seriously and was a regular starter on the team.  

鈥淚 would train and play football every day,鈥� says Ericsson. 鈥淚 remember doing my homework on my way to school because I had spent the entire previous evening playing football!鈥� he recalls. 

However, things took a different turn and Ericsson had to adapt his passion for football to suit the changing dynamic, just as he did with his studies. When he began losing his starting spot on the first team, Ericsson shifted his focus to officiating football matches and soon qualified as a certified football referee. 

鈥淭his was an interesting turn of events because I didn鈥檛 like referees back in my playing days,鈥� Ericsson reflects with a smile. 鈥淭he biggest lesson I learned during my transition is no matter how bad it gets; better days are always waiting. Never lose hope,鈥� he adds. 

Today, Ericsson has set a unique record of being the first Tanzanian professional football referee to officiate football matches in England aspiring to one day referee the Premier League. He also has a thriving career at one of the world鈥檚 leading reinsurance companies following a Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Business Management with honours and a Master鈥檚 of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Enterprise Development from Westminster University. He is a living example of dedication, ambition and adaptability.聽

鈥淲henever I find myself doubting how far I can go, I remind myself of how far I have come and how many people have significantly contributed to me getting this far. And that gives me the strength to press on,鈥� says Ericsson. 

In May 2023, Ericsson purchased 13 of St Jude鈥檚 latest book, The School That Hope Built, to be distributed to schools in Australia. The books were personally delivered by Gemma, St Jude鈥檚 Founding Director, during her Australian Tour in 2023.