Meeting him is like having a conversation with someone who lives in several worlds at once — universities, co-working spaces, ideas, prototypes. At 23, with the build of a basketball player and a clear outlook on life, he isn’t the sort of person who waits for things to happen. He’s the sort of person who takes action.
Who are you today?
“My life right now is one big, heavy sigh. I’m still travelling to figure out who I am.”
When we ask him what he does, the answer is unusual — he attends more than eight universities. Not as a regular student at one, but as someone who has decided to invest in his own education in an unconventional way. Some people choose an outfit for every day of the week. He has chosen a university.
His satisfaction comes not from grand gestures, but from something very specific: “Discipline in the small, day-to-day tasks.”
Growing up
He grew up in SOS Children’s Villages and speaks about it directly, without unnecessary drama. His memories of those years are not just of the hardships — they are full of specific people and moments that have left a lasting impression.
Art teachers, cooking teachers, a culinary competition between 13 houses, in which he held the strategic position of “head taster”. The third house he lived in ranked in the top three. “We don’t like losing in No. 3,” he says with undisguised pride.
Then there is Mr D. — the village’s computer teacher, thanks to whom a whole generation of children learnt how to install CS 1.6 on Windows 95/XP without administrator rights. “A true classic of the genre for 2010,” he says. Horse riding, an art workshop, the computer room after the long break — a picture of an environment where people with a passion find a way to pass on something important.
“With help, things happen” — that is perhaps the clearest lesson from those years.
Independent living
At 18, he took his first step towards an independent life. His foster family continued to call, but they already knew he would go his own way.
We ask him what was the hardest thing at the start. “I bet someone will say finances... But that wasn’t the hardest part; it was taking responsibility for myself.” Behind these words lies something very specific — making decisions without a safety net, without anyone else bearing the consequences.
He is honest about his preparation: “I’ve been preparing myself mentally since I was little.” His foster family also spoke about this.
About “independence”.
Here he is categorical and does not hesitate: “Independence — there’s no such thing.”
Not in the sense that he is helpless. But in the sense that the system matters. If a young person in foster care has their benefits cut off and loses their job at the same time — without some support — the consequences are predictable. Independence isn’t isolation. It’s the ability to act when you have a foundation to build on.
Difficult moments and how he overcomes them
When we ask him about a particularly difficult period, the answer is surprisingly practical: training in the gym and on the street. And then — an observation that sounds harmless, yet heavy at the same time: “Leave your phone off for a few days — that way you’ll find out which of your friends will look for you.”
A simple test of the reality of the relationships around us. Valid for everyone.
When things aren’t going well, he relies on three things: the right questions to adjust his actions; conversations with people he trusts; and “sometimes a little faith doesn’t go amiss.”
The people around him
“For me — the unique ones.” That’s how he describes the people he chooses to surround himself with. There’s one person he relies on in difficult times — “I forget he’s there, but he is.”
His connection with the people at SOS continues. He values it, albeit with his characteristic humour: “I sometimes think I wouldn’t lose anything by saying goodbye to them… But then I come back down to earth.”
What he wants from here on
“The luxury of taking risks while I’m still young. Sleepless nights in co-working offices. Creating ideas, prototypes, products and services.”
Family and friends criticise him for not following the “security of a salary”. He carries on. For him, the good life isn’t the comfort of security — it’s the freedom to bet on yourself while you still have the energy to do so.
What he wants people to know
To young people who have grown up in such an environment, he says something important: “Most of them struggle with themselves.” And he adds with a directness that leaves no room for romanticisation: “Although not every child loved their homework — there wasn’t a single stupid child.”
And to the young people who are just emerging from such an environment, the message is clear: “Be careful. Look after your mental health. If you have access to a psychologist — that’s a luxury for your well-being. And invest in yourself — start with university, not a job. It’s not easy, but life will be easier for you later on.”
When asked what he would say to his younger self, he replies with a smile: “You’re a fantastic idiot, and in the future too — don’t worry.”
A man who knows where he comes from and has chosen for himself where he is going: “Left and right, left and right… we’ll keep moving forward.”