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THE BRENNHOLTZ INSTITUTE,BERN.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the prestigious Brennholtz Institute.

I am Herr Johann Schneider and I am the vice president of the Brennholtz Institute and the Brennholtz Group.

As you are no doubt aware of,every year we accept only ten prospective students into our institute.

Our selection process is very rigid and thorough and the fact that you are here means that you are the best of the best there is.

For the next thirty-six months, you will be trained with very advanced technology, the likes of which are yet to exist in the outside world.

At the end of the programme, only four of you will be chosen to work with us full time at the Brennholtz Group.

As this is a co-educational institution, you will be paired with a partner for the duration of your studies.

Your partner will be your study-mate and house-mate. You will be evaluated in pairs, so if your partner misses class or breaks any of the rules, you will both be punished and your scores will be affected.

It's our utmost desire to teach you teamwork by encouraging you to work with a partner.

That being said,we expect you to have complete trust and faith in your partner, learn their strengths and weaknesses and help them overcome whatever challenges they may have.

This is not an individual race. If you have a competitive streak,use it for your partner.

Whatever happens to your partner happens to you too.

You can't expect to get better grades while your partner is struggling to swim against the tide.

You do not leave your partner no matter how difficult it gets. Stick together, work together, rely on each other.

This isn't the type of school you are used to.

This is serious business people.

It's time to learn to face your responsibilities as mature individuals.

You will make many mistakes, you will fall into old habits but we expect you to get back up and keep moving.

Think of yourself and your partner as conjoined twins, sharing one body, moving together like a well oiled machine. You must put your partner before yourself. You are a team.

Make a schedule,consult your partner before you make any decision.

You are not an individual anymore. Whatever choices you make will affect your partner whether you were thinking of them or not.

We expect you to be on the same wavelength with your partner. You must know what the other person is thinking at all times in order to be able to do the same. No matter the risks, you must not sit back and watch your partner drown just to save yourself. You sit together, you stand together, you walk together,you run together, you drown together.

If your partner runs into a fire, you are expected to follow.

You compete together not against each other.

You have all being assigned a number and your partner was also assigned the same number.

You were given an envelope when you first arrived.When you open the envelope,you will find a card with a number on it. Raise it above your head and your partner will see it and find you.

Remember your partner is anchored to you for the duration of your training. You must try your hardest to get along with each other. Your success depends on it.

My best friend Hermann and I first met at the Institute des sciences fontaine in Paris as study partners. We didn't get along in the beginning I must tell you as we were opposites of each other but when we realised that our grades were suffering as a result,we learnt to tolerate each other.

Today we are not only best friends but also the co-founders of this Institute and the company.

We work really well together you'd think we've been friends our whole lives because we are so in sync,we can anticipate each other's needs without actually talking so much that my assistant told me it was creepy being in the same room with the both of us.

What I'm trying to say is that like us, you can build a friendship that can last your lifetime with your partner. You can end up building businesses and even build life saving technology that will save the world.

It all starts today,by making the choice to be the best partner you can be,by being the best version of yourself.

Enjoy the rest of the party,I will see you on Monday. Have a good evening.

He looked at the number on his card (1) and attempted to look around for anyone with the same number.

The number 1 written boldly on a blue card caught his eye from across the room. He walked over and locked eyes with the person holding the card,he was stunned.

He had to remind himself to breathe because standing there was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.. his new study-partner and house -mate.

He approached her with a friendly smile and introduced himself holding out his card.

Guy: Hi. I'm Nate Duval. I'm your study partner.

Girl: Hi Nate. I'm Henri Marie Fournier.

Guy: Henry? Really?

Girl: It's actually Henriette but everyone calls me Henri as in H.E.N.R.I except my Dad and sister. Sorry,I'm babbling. I do that when I'm nervous.

Guy: It's okay. I'm nervous too. I'm going to call you Maria if that's okay.

Girl: Sure. Sounds original.

Guy: Well, Maria. My full name's Nathaniel.

Girl: Well, it's nice to meet you Nathaniel.

Guy: It's nice to meet you too. So,are you a local or a transplant. You have a unique accent but your English is very British.

Girl: I'm a little of both. I'm French but I was born in California. I was raised in London but my family moved here when I was twelve. We've lived here until three years ago when my Dad and sister moved back to Paris. I still live here though. I guess I just love it so much here. I'm still babbling. Sorry.

Guy: Don't be. It's cute. I mean,your story is cute not that you are not cute. It's.. your life sounds very interesting.

I was also born in California. Los Angeles to be precise and I have lived there my whole life.

It's embarrassing but I've never actually been anywhere else my entire life.

Girl: Well, maybe I can show you around some time?

Guy: I'd like that very much.