Suzan Dilara Tokac from AEGEE-Eskisehir is not a fresh member in AEGEE. In fact, she joined the association 7 years ago and, after a break, she came back even more enthusiastic and excited to not only attend main statutory events but also to organize successful Summer University by AEGEE-Eskisehir this summer. Now Suzan applies for of Public Relations Responsible in Summer University Coordination Team saying that all her motivation and personality fits with the task description. To get to know more The AEGEEan decided to interview her.
The AEGEEan: What is a Summer University for you? Why would you like to work on this project? Why do you apply exactly for SUCT and the particular position?
Suzan: Besides being the biggest project of AEGEE-Europe, it is also the most useful one. Through Summer Universities we can reach more people and get new members, during a Summer University the organizers tell the participants about AEGEE and they experience also it. Then, after Summer University, more people become a part of this big family and sign up for big projects. So, the Summer University is a place where you can learn “what AEGEE is” in a fun way, which is, as all educators would agree on, the best and the most efficient way of learning. I would like to see more motivated people by being the motivator by this particular position – PR- for both participants and organizers and reach more people and bring them together by means of SUs.
Work in Summer University Coordination Team requires relevant experience, can you tell more about it? What do you do apart AEGEE?
My city – Eskisehir- is known as the student city of Turkey. There are one million students in this city so we have great potential for our antenna. However, reaching all of them and attracting their attentions towards our organization depends on how successful you are in communication and relations. I took part in events that we aim to reach more people like information days. I worked as main organizer and incoming responsible in our Summer University twice and finally I was a participant this summer.
I am doing my Master now. Sometimes I need an escape and special time for my own so I go to salsa and zumba classes. Also I attend weekly meetings of other organizations and cinematography club. My best relaxation method is riding my bike around the city.
Is there something that you would like to change during your term?
The best way of showing people the benefits of something is proving it by personal experiences and physical evidences. The power and effectiveness of SUs can be told to people by personal stories. As being the face of the project I would like to collect the stories of participants and organizers including funny stories and small anecdotes about what changes in their life after this unique experience and create a blog/page with different sections and multimedia.
Every year many locals come with new ideas of topic whereas the others continue their series of SUs. Although there are several options people can seek for specific areas of interest that doesn’t exist or not in a city that they would like to visit. Since we would like to promote the project, encourage participants to join and organizers to be creative, I would like to send surveys to each antenna asking their areas of interests; collecting them in a database and make it available for the future organizers. This is just the basics which can be developed and expand in a broader sense depending on the needs.
Creativity is the inevitable nature of Summer Universities that’s why for 3 years I have been doing my best to change the course of this in the local base – in our own SUs. After being in the coordination team twice, leading the team by being the main coordinator and attending Summer University Project School, I want to jump to the European level. AEGEE is a big family that grows bigger by sharing, learning and creating so there is nothing better for me to be a drop of water in this endless ocean and then stream into rivers of experience, friendship and fun. Being the face of project, involving in with people, listen to them and sharing with them, reflects my desires and strong points hence I would like to cover the tasks of the Public Relations position and instead of being a bridge, I want to be a brick in the wall of AEGEE in the name of Summer University Coordination Team.
What was your best Summer University experience as participant and organizer?
This summer I was the participant of “Discover the Sicilian Beat” SU by AEGEE-Messina and we visited another small town called Cittanova. The city was very different from Messina. We watched local people including kids dancing local dance with bare feet, tasted delicious homemade wine and slept with pigs in our garden. Also the weather was very different and our beloved organizers provided us with extra sheets, blankets, sleeping bags, and even with shoes. It was very thoughtful and nice of them to keep us warm and cozy and take care of us as our family.
What was your worst SU experience as participant and organizer and how did you solve the problem?
Instead of saying the worst I want to use the term “informational gap”. Not only in Summer University but also in any kind of our works or projects we face several problems. In our Summer University we had a problem about transportation from the bus station to the city center and panic spread among the organizers. Instead of panicking and make each other stress out, we could have informed each other about the situation, come up with solutions, choose the most appropriate mindset and save the day. As this project is already a big responsibility it is not necessary to make it harder for each other. So wiping away the gaps by healthy talks and communication is essential for solving problems. After having a couple of minutes by looking at each other with crazy eyes we settled down, discussed and gave participant a very pleasant bus ride followed by a city tour of Antalya.
I hope you will always be able to solve any kind of problems you face! Will you be able to come to Agora Cagliari to present your candidature?
OLIOOOOOOOO!!!
Written by Anna Smailikova, AEGEE-Kyïv