Skye Larkowski shares her unique experiences with Finish culture

Skye Larkowski joined the Academy of the Holy Names community during her junior year of high school (2020-2021) after many years of living in foreign cities. Her broad worldly experiences and unique cultural practices were quickly integrated into her daily life as an Academy student. Her mother is from Finland, which Larkowski has visited numerous times. Her family emphasizes the continuing of many of the traditions from that culture, which Larkowski shared in an interview with Achona. 

Please not that A refers to questions asked and L refers to Larkowski’s replies.

A: How are you able to express your culture daily?

L: “I express my culture daily through the food I eat. In our home, we have a lot of fish, potatoes, and traditional pastries, which are my favorite.” 

A: How do you think your cultural perspective impacts your view of the world? 

L: “I think my cultural background changes my view on the world by making me more keen to learn about others. I love learning about different people’s backgrounds and the stories that they have. I feel as if this helps me to have a better sense of the world” 

A: What do you value most about your cultural heritage?

L: “I value the perspective that it has given me on the world because it makes me more open-minded. My cultural heritage has played a huge role in how I see things in life. ” 

A: What are some things that you and your family do to continue to integrate your culture into your daily life? 

L: “A big part of our culture is having dinner as a family unit all together. So, every day we have dinner all together and take the time to talk to one another without any distractions.” 

A: What are unique practices that you and your family share that help you feel connected to your culture? 

L: “One thing that I treasure is that my mom makes us pastries every Saturday that are really popular and culturally significant for us, not to mention they are very delicious!” 

A: Throughout your relocations, what has helped you to maintain a strong feeling of culture? 

L: “A sense of familial unity has helped me to feel connected. No matter where we are living, my grandparents always make an effort to come and visit with us. Just their presence helps me to feel better connected with my cultural roots.” 

A: How do you find outlets to express your Finish culture?

L: “I am able to share my culture through expressive activities such as a Finish club my mom enrolled me in where we shared dances, sings, and other festivities. Activities like this serve as an outlet for me to share all of the unique traditions our culture holds.” 

A: What is one fun fact about your culture that you would like to share with everyone?

L: “Something kind of weird is that they put tuna on pineapple pizza!

A: how does it taste? 

L: “It is about as good as it sounds!” 

To learn more about Finish cultural practices and overall fun facts about the country, click here.