Because Svenja van der Tol, former Secretary of the Agora, was elected as Secretary General of AEGEE-Europe, the Chair Team opened applications for the Secretary of the Agora for the upcoming Autumn Agora Kyïv. Jeanine Ossentjuk from AEGEE-Groningen was selected as new Secretary of the Agora. Let’s find out who the new girl on stage is!
The AEGEEan: For those who don’t know you, can you please introduce yourself?
Jeanine: Hi! My name is Jeanine, I’m 21 years old and I study Human Resource Management. Last year I was Secretary and PR-responsible in the board of AEGEE-Groningen and this year I am in the advisory board and in the travel committee of my local.
Why did you decide to apply for Secretary of the Agora?
AgorAsturias was my first Agora and I really loved it. At the end of the Agora I was determined to become active in AEGEE-Europe. I knew that there had to be an interim Secretary of the Agora since Svenja got elected for CD, and since I really liked my tasks as Secretary in the board of AEGEE-Groningen, it was the perfect opportunity for me to take this experience to the next level!
Not everyone might know what your work looks like. How would you define your work as Secretary of the Agora?
My main responsibility is taking minutes during the plenaries and some of the prytania at the Agora. Another important part of my work is coordinating my secretary assistants. I’m very lucky to have five amazing assistants for the upcoming Agora. They will take minutes during the prytania and it’s my job to assign them to the prytania and prepare them for their work so they will know what they are expected to do. But apart from these specific ‘secretary’ tasks, I’m also a member of the Chair Team which means supporting Tom Simons and Andrea Ugrinoska wherever I can, for example with drafting the agenda, selecting participants, sending emails, keeping track of everything that is discussed and doing some random small things that come up.
What is your favorite part of your work?
I love to get a look ‘behind the scenes’ of the Agora. Being part of the Chair Team means that you’re very involved in the whole process of Agora preparation and it’s interesting to see all the things that have to be taken care of. Also, working together with the other members of the Chair Team and with Svenja is awesome. We’re a super-efficient team and we get along really well, which obviously makes working a lot more fun.
Do you have any specific aims for the upcoming Agora?
Since my tasks mainly take place during the Agora, I’m very excited to finally really start ‘working’! I’m also looking forward to visit Kyïv and of course to meet a lot of new people. I don’t have any specific aims, but I just hope everything will go well and that this Agora will be the best!
Is there anything you want to add?
The three things I like most in life are travelling, Spanish music and doing shots. So if you want to make me happy during the Agora, try playing some Spanish music or offer me a delicious Ukrainian shot [she laughs, ed.] Looking forward to meeting many of you!
Written by Wietske Jousma, AEGEE-Enschede