Of course the AEGEEan wants you to meet all the NetCom candidates so we asked Ana Potočnik a load of questions about herself and her plans. Ana was born and raised in Ljubljana and two years ago she became a member of AEGEE-Ljubjana. At Agora Patra she’s hoping to be elected as a Network Commissioner, for which she will put aside her clay sculpting and Biochemistry studies so she can travel and serve the Network in the Balkan area.
The AEGEEan: What was your main reason for joining AEGEE and is that still the main reason why you remain a member? Or has this changed over time?
Ana: My story of how I joined AEGEE is interesting. Two years ago one of my friends decided it is time to find her a boyfriend and asked me to join her on the meeting for the New Year’s event which was organised by AEGEE-Ljubljana that year. I had no idea what AEGEE was, what kind of event they were organizing or for whom, but as a good friend I decided to support her “let’s find me a boyfriend” mission.
So you joined the event, but what happened there to convince you to stay involved with AEGEE?
“In one month I went from a complete stranger to board member of AEGEE-Ljubljana.”
I have been living in Ljubljana for my whole life and I know how magical it can be in the winter time, that’s why I was super excited to work on the program for 30 students from all over Europe. Of course my enthusiasm and hard work was noticed by one of the members, looking for people who would candidate for the board next month, so in one month I went from a complete stranger to board member of AEGEE-Ljubljana.
First year as a newbie and a board member was not easy, I was struggling with understanding and getting to know AEGEE and how we work, and from time to time also with motivation. But I believe you have to finish what you started and take the responsibility for your tasks. I finished my term and in this year AEGEE found a way to get under my skin. The opportunities that AEGEE gives me and people that I met keep me motivated to dedicate even more time and energy to our organisation.
In your programme you also mention wanting to support members to grasp opportunities AEGEE presents. So what do you think are the most important opportunities that AEGEE-Europe offers?
The most visible is definitely traveling , but for me the most important is personal development and the possibility to develop your own ideas. In the last two years AEGEE changed me a lot.
I gained a lot of confidence and developed countless different skills. If there would have been no AEGEE, I would be sitting at home right now writing a lab report, not caring so much about what is happening in our society and Europe. It is really fascinating how many opportunities AEGEE offers to its members, but it is up to each member to take advantage of them.
How did you ‘meet’ the Network Commission?
I met the last three NetComs of my area. I remember after my first NWM in Kragujevac I rode in the back of a car to Beograd with Marijana Roščić and Ana Dragić. They were explaining what the work of NetCom is and trying to teach me some “Balkanish” words. Even though I was a very fresh member then I found their work very interesting. And I saw their work in the number of locals raising and “old” locals getting stronger and stronger.
Of course NetCom work is the most visible during Network Meetings which I enjoyed very much. And about our current NetCom Antonija, let’s just say that we developed a special bond during the last NWM in Ljubljana where I was the main organiser. In the last year we have been in contact all the time and during our Skype marathons we also talked a lot about NetCom’s work, its difficulties, about Antonija’s locals and problems that we are all facing.
You’ve been to several NWM’s, have you also visited locals in the Balkan Area on different occasions?
I decided to make a small “Balkan tour” and travel to Patra through Zagreb, Beograd and Skopje.”
Unfortunately I have not had the time to visit locals as Antonija’s SubCom, but I visited or attended events of AEGEE-Beograd and Maribor and I even helped for a few days during the SU of AEGEE-Zagreb last year. That’s why I also decided to make a small “Balkan tour” and travel to Patra through Zagreb, Beograd and Skopje.
I really want to get to know locals before I start my term. Which I am also trying to do by reading Activity Reports from locals for the last few months. I hope this will give me a clearer picture of the situation and problems that locals are facing.
What did you learn as a member of ACT on international cooperation and online communication?
The work of ACT was one of the most challenging tasks I have had in AEGEE. Here I learned how important the knowledge transfer is and that it is not always easy to coordinate work in a big team without live meetings, but if everyone takes the responsibility and does their tasks, everything is possible. I think it was very good preparation for NetCom work.
For NetCom as a whole, I think we should use email as our main communication channel, because it is easy to follow them and it allows the possibility of saving information for next generations. But at the same time I know that the amount of email can be overwhelming from time to time, so I am also in favour of using Facebook groups for reminders and informal communication.
You know some of the other candidates right? How did you meet them and how do you feel about cooperating with them?
Yes, I have met most of them. I have met Maria Arends (AEGEE-Groningen) and Burak Topaloğlu (AEEE-Eskişehir) on my first AEGEE event – pre-Agora event of AEGEE-Groningen. With Maria I also cooperated in the Identity team and attended the Leadership training in Brussels this January, where I also met Balasz Kovacs (AEGEE-Debrecen). Oh, and on the European level meeting in Zaragoza I shared the room with Lia Tuska (AEGEE-Sofia).
But even if I didn’t know most of the candidates, it wouldn’t be a problem, because I can cooperate with anyone who answers their emails regularly and has a proactive approach.
You also mention the importance of trainings and knowledge transfer in your programme, what will you do to support locals with this?
“I am already working on writing down all the obstacles, tips and tricks that I am facing as president, which I feel are important for my successor.”
With AEGEE-Ljubljana, we organised the Summer University Project School (SUPS) in cooperation with the Summer University Coordination Team (SUCT) and AEGEE-Academy as well as some simple one-day trainings on different topics. I know how important trainings are for locals, that is why I attended the Training for Trainers (T4T) in Budapest so that I would be able to help and support locals with the organisation and by giving trainings during my term.
A one year-mandate is not as long as it sounds, so using the knowledge of previous generations helps not to lose time learning on our own and from our own mistakes. In my own local I am already working on writing down all the obstacles, tips and tricks that I am facing as president, which I feel are important for my successor.
The current NetCom team is already working on a general booklet about knowledge transfer in boards, which will be distributed before Agora Patra. This booklet contains mostly technical information about working in a board but unfortunately this is not enough for efficient work of new generation. So I will advise and support other board members and locals to write down their tips and tricks as well.
Lastly, what are your personal strenghts and weaknesses?
“A NetCom should have a strong team of Subcommies and not be afraid to share his/her tasks.”
I am very critical and demanding of myself, so it is not easy for me to say what my strenghts are, but I think this is also a good quality. It is the way I keep pushing and developing myself. My other qualities could be that I am fast thinker, a fast learner and that I like to seek new ideas and solutions. This will help me get into the flow of NetCom work fast and develop a new approach to problems that locals are facing.
However, being critical and demanding of myself is also my weakness. Sometimes I like to take a lot of responsibilities on, even too much for the 24 hours that a day has. But I am aware of this and that is why I am already working on building a strong team of Subcommies, whom I trust and will be able to share my work with. I think NetCom work is not a one-man job, so to ensure quality work and support for the locals, a NetCom should have a strong team of Subcommies and not be afraid to share his/her tasks.
I would like to thank you, Ana for your openness and patience with all our questions in this interview and I am sure that your critical thinking and hard work will be appreciated by the Agora. We wish you the best of luck with the elections!
Written by Wieke van der Kroef, AEGEE-Amsterdam/ AEGEE-Leuven