JULIAN — When Julian native Karina Bloom graduated from Bald Eagle Area High School, she could’ve taken the traditional path by just attending college. However, with her flute in her hand, she enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, which has taken her on a life journey.
Today, she’s pursuing her master’s degree in Norway, advocating for international students and proving that even small-town kids can thrive on a global stage.
“I just want to highlight for people from my hometown and Centre County that they should really consider traveling if they can when they’re young,” Bloom said. “Obviously, they don’t have to go forever, but even just some trips, because I think it really does change you.”
Now based in Kristiansand, Norway, Bloom is wrapping up her first year of a two-year master’s program.
Her academic journey hasn’t followed a straight line. She began college in the States, spent time abroad while enrolled through Montclair State University in New Jersey and eventually transitioned into full-time studies overseas. Throughout it all, her music has remained a guiding force and her Marine Corps discipline has kept her grounded.
“I think the structure kind of helped me get it together,” she said. “Now there’s more that I can do with my life because I have some of the structure. I would just encourage people they don’t need to go to college right away, and there doesn’t need to be this pressure if they want to take a year to travel.”
Bloom’s musical roots run deep. She sang in her local church choir before she could even hold a flute, and once she picked up the instrument in fourth grade, she never put it down.
Throughout middle and high school, she immersed herself in choir, jazz band, musicals and festival ensembles. Bloom credits supportive teachers and a small-school environment that gave her room to explore and participate in music activities.
“I think, for me being in a smaller school, I think it kind of worked to my advantage,” Bloom said. “There were a lot of local events that we could do and things with the musicals. I think for me, being in a smaller school, I could do everything. I could do all the ensembles. I could do all the events.”
At 18, she took a leap and enlisted in the Marine Corps as a flutist. That experience didn’t just expand her musical ability; it launched her into a life of international travel, which included time stationed in Okinawa, Japan.
“When we were living in Okinawa and working there, they reminded us that we’re guests here,” Bloom stated. “We’re on a military base, but we’re guests. They really hoped that we would respect the culture and learn about it. I tried to take that to heart and then I tried to apply that to any time I was traveling.”
Since then, Bloom has studied and performed in countries across the globe, but navigating the complexities of studying abroad hasn’t always been easy. As an international student in Norway, she’s faced steep visa fees, proof-of-income requirements, and tuition policies that have recently changed for non-EU students.
“I would still want to push for change for future students,” Bloom said. “This is a pain for anybody, not just Americans, but students that are outside of the EU. It’s really not convenient.”
She’s currently exploring the idea of pursuing a second master’s degree in music business once she graduates in 2026, a move that would allow her to stay in Norway longer and qualify for free tuition as a long-term resident.
“I want to do it the right way,” she said. “I want to make sure that I’m learning the language. I really want to be involved in the culture.”
Norway has, in many ways, become a second home. Bloom’s learned to embrace the quiet social customs, the deep-rooted hospitality and even the surprising national obsession with tacos and frozen pizza.
“I think they might have the highest consumption in the world for frozen pizza,” she laughed. “Tacos became huge in Norway when Americans came here, I think for oil and working. They started to want to eat tacos. It’s a huge thing across Norway because even the cafeteria and school will have Taco Friday.”
Looking ahead, she hopes to keep performing, advocate for more accessible education for international students and inspire other young people from Centre County to consider studying abroad. One resource she points to is the Gilman Scholarship, a federally funded program that helped finance her first semester overseas.
Bloom’s message to students is simple: there’s more out there than what you know.
“I hope young people will consider that there’s more than just going to Penn State, to Lock Haven, going to school. There are so many options. They shouldn’t limit themselves to only what they know. If you only go by what you know in your town in Pennsylvania that’s not everything in the world,” Bloom said . “People shouldn’t feel stuck.”
Students interested in learning about the Gilman Scholarship can visit gilmanscholarship.org.
