Dr. Martina Geromin, CEO & Co-Founder
Education has always been an integral part of my life. From the age of five, I dreamed of becoming a teacher and, later, a school leader, driven to challenge the constraints of traditional education. Creating a space for the wonder of learning, as well as honouring the unique qualities that make us human, resonates deeply within me. I am deeply passionate about purposeful learning – where each individual is inspired to discover and reach their full potential.
As an expert in education, knowledge management, and leadership, I have worked internationally as a teacher, university lecturer, trainer, adult educator, and executive within global educational institutions. My commitment remains focused on helping individuals uncover and embrace their uniqueness, learning how to bring it to life meaningfully. I see education and personal development as transformative drivers for real change.
Additionally, I am the mother of an adult son who studied mathematics at Cambridge University and now thrives as a mathematician and software developer. This personal experience adds depth to my understanding of young people’s needs in the educational sphere.
Holding a Doctor of Philosophy, a Doctor of Business Administration in Higher Education Management, and a Master’s in Giftedness, I have authored numerous articles and books over the past 35 years. Among my publications is Tacit Knowledge Sharing at Higher Education Institutions, a widely used reference for academics in the field of knowledge transfer.
During a research project comparing diverse education systems, I had the pleasure of meeting SBL’s Co-Founder, Katharina Ferster, while also participating in one of her marketing coaching courses. We quickly discovered our shared vision for education and a mutual desire to give young people the opportunity to realise their full potential. Katharina appreciated my concept for a new kind of school, and together we decided to launch an online school that would focus on educating young people as whole, complete human beings – well before the Covid pandemic accelerated the demand for online education.
After me having spent decades developing a new innovative educational model, our vision took shape in School Beyond Limitations – a school that transcends traditional boundaries and redefines education beyond limitations.
Katharina Ferster, Co-Founder
It was always a fixed idea of mine to found a school. I don’t know where this came from and when I sensed this innate desire. I was always too fast and stubborn for school, for my teachers and my peers. That is why I always felt bored throughout my school years and throughout my studies in Mathematics at university – and still was one of the best students. “I know that I know” – I said over and over again. Only when my own two children were born and started to attend school I started to look for alternatives: for a school concept that would focus on the individual development of each child’s creativity and that would aim to guide the students to their own innate knowing: I know that I know.
I was not successful. My children attended a Rudolf Steiner school. I trained myself in personal development, coaching and business creation. The more I developed in that direction and the more I built a successful business the less I could support the outdated traditional education concept.
I was looking for freedom for my family. I wanted to take my children with me while traveling without being tied to school holidays. I wanted my children to spend their time with their father whenever they wanted as their father did not live with them anymore. I wanted my children to learn freely by being able to pursue their projects based on their interests and skills according to their pace without being pushed into a standardised system.
During our world journey I tried out worldschooling and homeschooling. However, it was not enough. And then I met Martina Geromin, the co-founder of School Beyond Limitations. As our move to Cyprus was coming closer the idea was born to set up an online school. We wanted students to learn in a social steady environment that would never change, even if they were to move or travel again; with teacher-mentors who would take them by their hands until completion of their goals; an environment that is not based on judgement or grades, instead it was meant to be an environment with a strong emphasis on personal development in which each individual learns at her/his pace; an environment that acknowledges that children are in their knowing and as such they are allowed to think and act freely, beyond any limitations. That was the starting point for School Beyond Limitations.
I wholeheartedly thank Martina and all parents who bravely undertook the first steps with us. Now, School Beyond Limitations is an internationally recognised school which increasingly captures interest and appreciation. It is a place that allows students to blossom as they understand that they are unique, that everything is possible and that they alone can choose responsibly about their life choices.
Yes, I’d say that we are about to change the education system and, furthermore, we offer our students an unforgettable experience that will shape their adult lives considerably.