In AEGEE-Kraków you can meet Gabriela Szyszka, nominated as Member of the Month of December. She is very versatile: she was PR in her first AEGEE event and, after less than one year, HR in the “Language Conversation” project. She has been also an organiser in a TSU in collaboration with AEGEE-Budapest. But she worked really hard for the last NYE, also opening the door of her flat for an unexpected post-event party. Enjoy the interview!

The AEGEEan: Congratulations, you have been nominated Member of the Month. How does it feel to win this award?

Gabriela: “Mistake” – It was my first thought when I saw the message. I am still shocked and surprised because I follow The AEGEEan and when I read all those stories about MoMs – those AEGEEans did huge things. This nomination gave me a lot of motivation to work and now “I am walking on sunshine” (although recently it has been raining in Poland).

Who is Gabriela? What is her story in AEGEE?

Her first AEGEE  event was in December 2014.  While studying hard (read: scrolling Facebook feeds), she saw the PR Camp event. She did not know much about PR, but she sent her application and she was accepted. She remembers that she really liked the atmosphere during the event (badge with names, photos with flag, integration games – for her it was a total novelty).  When she saw the next event, she did not hesitate and she participated.  Then she won a competition in promoting learning languages… and she decided to join AEGEE-Kraków.  In spring 2015 there was her  first LTC and a month later the Management Training Course.

She started to help with the preparation of the Travelling Summer University organised with AEGEE-Budapest (that was her first international event and she felt “falling in love with AEGEE”; also it was her first adventure in hosting AEGEEans).  She was motivated to be more active in AEGEE, but unfortunately she had to leave AEGEE because of Erasmus. She missed students’ organisation because there is not an AEGEE local in Almería. Then, after half a year, she was totally impressed by the atmosphere during Agora Bergamo and she kept in mind James Brown’s song “I Feel Good” all the event (except the morning after European Night).

Her next project was “Language Conversation” with AEGEE-Kraków – where she tried to be a good HR in this project.  Finally, two months ago the 25th Birthday & Highlander New Year’s Eve of AEGEE-Krakow.  That is her story and she hopes that not soon she will sing with Adele “this is the end”.

I should put all the names of my AEGEE friends in this answer because without them I could have not been able to write all those things above, so I only say: THANKS TO ALL OF YOU! Also, I would like to mention about my parents and family that support me in my activities.

What is your life besides AEGEE?

I am studying Economics in Kraków (ok, I am trying to study). So I have all those problems like should I stay (in bed) or should I go (to the lectures)? I hope to win the Nobel Prize one day and then spend the rest of my life in Mauritius. Of course I have prepared a plan B. If I fail, I will move to Turkmenistan and become a goat farmer. Beside that, I love travelling (like all people in AEGEE, I think).  I do not like typical travel by bus, plane or train. I prefer hitchhiking and sleeping in the middle of nowhere in a tent. Thanks to this method with my student budget in two years I visited more than twenty countries and met a lot of nice and hospitable people. This way for me is more exciting and allows to really feel the culture and know the real people’s lives in different parts of the world and hear different stories from drivers. I like European countries, but I would like also visit South America in the future, that is why I am trying to learn Spanish. I love pandas. I will adopt one in the future.

Describe your personality by using the initials of your name(s).

Girl

Amicable

But

Infantile

You worked or the Royal 25th Birthday & Highlander New Year’s Eve of AEGEE-Kraków. What was the best moment? What was the most difficult thing you experienced?

Actually I did not work as much as the main organisers. I started to help during and after the event [she smiles, ed.].  For me, all the event was amazing and exciting. One of my favorite moments was the Pub Crawling, I was the leader of one group (Nine or Nain – cheers for you guys). I was the worst leader you can imagine. Despite having a map and GPS and despite the fact that I am living in Kraków, we got lost five times (or more). But we were really integrated and we did all the task so creatively that finally we won competition. Also, I liked the unexpected party in my flat on the 1^st of January – best beginning of the year (Eurovision, Maria Salvador song, tasty pasta cooked by Italians and Slav Squad). I avoid post-event depression in great way.  The most difficult part was the end of an almost one-week event and going back to normal life (and realising how much work I had to do before my exams due to procrastinating during Christmas break).

Are you happy about the results and proud of them? Would you change anything, looking back?

Of course, I am happy! I would only change my flat for a bigger one. Anyway, we managed plates for everyone, mattresses to sleep and even we danced Tunak Tunak, Macarena and Polonez. Polonez is the name of the Polish car but it is also the name of a traditional Polish dance that lot of AEGEEans learnt to dance during New Years Eve party and they really liked that. Here, I would like to thank my tolerant neighbours and flatmates.

Have you been an active member before and during Agora Bergamo? 

I do not know if I can call myself an active member. I  like helping in preparations during our local events,
but since Agora Bergamo I am more interested about the activities of International Bodies and Working Groups.  Agora Bergamo was my first Agora and I was not a delegate. On that event, there were forty members from AEGEE-Kraków and the majority of us had taken the same filght so I felt excited already at the airport.  The event was  unforgettable for me because everything was new, and also I met my friends from Summer University.

Name one good thing and one bad thing about AEGEE.

It is hard to name only one good thing. For me the most important thing in AEGEE are of course my friends from the whole organisation and the atmosphere during European events. In those moments I really feel like an inhabitant of a democratic, diverse and borderless Europe. I love helping AEGEEans when they are visiting Kraków or hosting them when I have a time. It completely confirms one of my favorite quotes from the movie Into the Wild “Happiness only real when shared”. Bad things? That it is impossible to get to know all the members [she smiles, ed.].

If you could change anything in the association, what would it be?

I think that is hard to change anything from day to day. Changing is a process that lasts some time. We are learning all the time from more experienced members. We are discussing about things which could be improved, and in my opinion is it is really good because we can learn tolerance, how to achieve an agreement, how to cooperate. Also I am not that involved at the European level of AEGEE to talk about changes.

What are your future plans for AEGEE?

Recently, I became a coordinator of Summer University so I am excited when I think about THIS summer. We want to prepare everything on the highest level and make that participants feel the “summer of their life”. I have a really good team of friends and Lidia as a Content Manager so actually I am counting days to this event and hope that you, readers of this interview, will apply!

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari

When we ask AEGEEans to nominate someone who did something important during a specific month, we often received nominations with the same name from five/six people. We never experienced an overwhelming number of nominations like we did with the Member of the Month of March: 25 in total! All with the name Naira N. Pérez Rodriguez from AEGEE-Tenerife. She was the main organiser of the Spring Break event in her local and her devotion towards participants impressed them, but also us. Here you have her honest and brilliant interview!

The AEGEEan: Tell us something about yourself.

Naira: My name is Naira N. Pérez Rodríguez, I’m 22 years old and I studied Law at the University of La Laguna, a warming (but not warm) and lovely city. Now I’m preparing the public examinations for being a judge. I’m in love with the law and the legal world. I know it can sound freaky, but I enjoy studying and arguing about the regulation of our country. I’m in love with the Canary Islands, which I consider a paradise. I was born in La Palma, the beautiful island, the jewel of the Atlantic. I’m in love with the sea and I love to swim: a way to be connected with nature where I can think without interruptions. But, among all, I’m in love with travelling. My trips’ philosophy is that the world is too big for repeating destinations. That’s why I don’t visit the same place twice; except for Turkey, thanks to AEGEE-Ankara, since I fell in love with that country, so I have to go again. I’m in love with music, as a way to express myself. Despite that I have no time for it now. I played drums and violin, but now I compensate with partying. I love to dance, above all, Latin rhythms. As you can see, in general, I’m in love with everything. And really, I’m in love.

How, when and why did you join AEGEE-Tenerife?

My relationship with AEGEE-Tenerife began with the Summer University campaign. Yes, of course, I was captured thanks to it. It was my first year in university and I saw a poster that said “Do you want to enjoy the best summer of your life?” and who could say NO to that proposal? In 2012, my adventure in Europe began with a Summer University organised by AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca, AEGEE-Gliwice and AEGEE-Pilicsaba. However, despite that I got back with too much willingness to get active, I couldn’t do much until I got back from my second SU, organised by AEGEE-Ankara. Just a few months later, I became president of AEGEE-Tenerife and I’m in my second term now. As I always say, AEGEE has given me more than I can give back.

How does it feel to be elected member of the month?

I don’t know how to define it. I didn’t expect it (and it is not the typical sentence of the Oscar’s winners). One of the participants of our European event “Spring Break in the limit of Europe” told me that she had nominated me, but of course, I didn’t expect that more people had done it. I really appreciate this award, but even If I hadn’t received it, just the nominations make me feel proud. I feel how my work has been recognised and, it has been a stimulus to go ahead. The funniest thing is that I almost did not realize that I had been awarded, because the email went to the spam folder and I don’t look in that one usually. Luckily we are in the Summer University campaign and the intranet registration of new members go to that folder too, so I enter it every day.

One of the reasons of your nomination was the event in Tenerife. What was it about? And when?

“Spring Break in the Limit of Europe” was an European event focused on the sustainability and environmental conservation, taking advantage of the endemic peculiarities of Tenerife, one island with an unquestionable and infinite natural heritage. This event was created because one of the basic features of the islands and AEGEE-Tenerife: only a few of the members from this antenna are from Tenerife or they don’t stay on the island during summer. So if we couldn’t organise a Summer University, we had to show our beautiful island in other times of the year.

It took place from the 18th to 23th of March, enjoying the Easter holidays. During this event, participants and a marvelous, fantastic, awesome group of 11 organisers, went, on the same day, to the highest point of Spain (our volcano Teide) and to a beach, changing gloves for swimsuits. We went across the North part of the island by hitchhiking and finished in a butterfly museum. We enjoyed a water park and had lessons about conservation and empowerment of local and natural heritage. We had a debate about the future of Europe and met La Laguna, an university and World Heritage city, and the capital of the island, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. All of that with their suitable doses of traditional Canarian food and party.

People who nominated you said that you were very committed and you gave all for your participants. How important is for you this aspect when organising an event?

Besides a compact and punctual timetable, to assure that the participants are pleased and enjoying the activities, it is one of the most important aspects of organising every event, because happy participants means motivated organisers with the will to work more. This creates an atmosphere where, if something goes wrong, the event doesn’t get ruined. As all the people that have met me know, you are my “dear Europeans”, so for me the human component comes always first.

Did you passed the exam you had the days after the event?

It is a hard question. Actually no, but it is not something to get worried about. For my public examinations, I have oral exams every Monday and Thursday where I have to recite, every time, one of twelve possible lessons, so actually if I don’t pass it one day, I can repeat it the next day. The final exam will be later on. In that moment I’m supposed to not fail, wish me luck.

What are your future plans in AEGEE?

I would like to get active on the regional and European level, as well as participate in an Election Observation Missions. However, I will have to wait until I finish with my public examinations. In AEGEE-Tenerife, I want to organise non-formal education activities, for facilitating and encouraging the training of members and non-members. In addition, after one year fighting with the University, now we can open our new office.

Name one good thing and one bad thing in our association. 

In my opinion, the best of AEGEE is the opportunity of opening your mind, meeting new cultures and getting out of your comfort zone in every activity, event, etc. It is achieving a completely educated person, not only education wise, but personally too. A negative aspect is that (however, sometimes this is inevitable) is the favouristims and cronyism that can be observed in the assignment of particular positions, without keeping in mind the training and background of people. I think that, as a democratic association, we should decrease the non elective positions.

Let’s play a game. Describe yourself by using adjectives that start with the letters that compose your name.

NIMBLE: my mind is always hatching something.

ACTIVE: I can’t stay at home. I always need to have something in my “to do” list.

IDEALISTIC: Ideas move the world and I want to move it.

ROMANTIC: I really love to love, despite maybe I’m not the best loving.

AUTO-DIDACTIC: something totally required in AEGEE.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona

Andrei Dodița is currently the president of AEGEE-Chișinău for the second time in a row, being a member of AEGEE for two years. He has contributed significantly in his local by organising the Local Training Course “Be Efficient” where AEGEE-Chișinău won a grant supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. He also organised a pre-event for Autumn Agora Kyiv this year “Taste the Moldavian Hospitality”, “The Hottest Summer School” Summer University last summer and he was the main co-organiser of “4 Seasons, 3 Reasons, 2 Countries, 1 Story” Travel Summer University which was organised with AEGEE-București also last summer. He also organised two other projects, one of which won a grant as a result of participating in the Grants Competition organised by the National Youth Council and supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Andrei is the Member of the Month for November, so we talked with him to tell us a little about his story behind all of this experience and devotion.

The AEGEEan: Congratulations, Andrei! Tell us something about yourself.  

Andrei: Hi, I am Andrei Dodița from AEGEE-Chișinău. I am 23 years old and I joined AEGEE in February 2014 and, due to the fact that I was very actively involved in the activities of the antenna, in September 2014, few months after, I was elected as the President of the local. Currently, it is my second term as the President of the Antenna.
I have a degree in Agricultural Sciences and Master’s degree in Ecological Agriculture. I have been working in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry for nearly two years.

What are your hobbies?

I have a few weaknesses in a good way of this word: I really like driving and watching football matches in the stadium. Of course AEGEE has also become a hobby for me, as I spend more time in AEGEE than with my family and I am OK with it because I love the things that I do in AEGEE and people I work with. But my biggest hobby is spending time with my niece, she’s like my chill zone.

  What is your best story in AEGEE so far?

I think my best story in AEGEE is even before I became a part of AEGEE. [he smiles] Why? Because my application at first was rejected by HR responsible on the grounds that it exceeded the number of applications. After two days I received another email and I was informed that there were some new free places and if I was still interested I could come.
What followed after? I think you’ve already realised. [he smiles]

What motivates you to keep involving in AEGEE?

I have been involved in youth association sector for over four years. I’ve been in two organisations in AEGEE. Here I came across new challenges, challenges that are beyond my limits, and I love them, I love challenges that seem hard to achieve. People here are incredible, in AEGEE young people think and feel different, act and live. Also, they are super motivated and very smart. I always have something to learn from them.

How do you manage your time between work and AEGEE, especially now with the Agora preparations?

I have a full time job now but AEGEE is the top priority for me and my boss knows about this [he smiles]… So when I need to dedicate more time for AEGEE, he understands me because he is well aware how important it is for me to invest myself in this and that my personal development is more important than boring office work. I have a very good relationship with him, he is a real boss. And so far, since I could manage my work, master and AEGEE, further, it won’t be a problem to manage my work and Agora.

What are your future plans in AEGEE?

My future plans in AEGEE are very simple and easy to define. First of all, I need to increase the number of members and recruit in all universities in Chisinau, because I wish every student to know and have the opportunity to participate in European projects managed by AEGEE. More members mean more Human Resources which means more projects and activities by AEGEE-Chisinau. Second is to train, prepare and empower these young people as a resource for National Youth Council from Moldova to have there as large as possible share. And third, to empower these young people to involve and be active at the European level and why not to apply for some positions. [he smiles]

 How would you convince a person to apply for AEGEE?

I always believed that young people shouldn’t be convinced to involve in something or be a part, because if he really doesn’t want this or this is not his purpose, after a while he will leave. And because of this, I all the time tried to put a lot of enthusiasm on tray for them with all the opportunities that they can achieve in AEGEE. And then they already decide what to do next.

Written by Gabriela Geană, AEGEE-București