Laura Fienhold, a first year IBA student, is on the board of AIESEC, an international student development organisation. This interview aims to show students that getting involved in a student association or organisation is valuable and does not have to delay their studies.
How long have you been on the board of AIESEC? I became an AIESEC part-time board member at the beginning of January 2012.
How much time and effort do you have to put in it?
It’s about 10-15 hours a week. Every Monday evening the board members and our trainees (students that are doing an internship in Enschede) eat dinner together. That is a good way to learn about different cultures as the trainees come from different countries all over the world. Right now our trainees come from Tunisia, Brazil and Finland. Afterwards we have a meeting which takes places in the Pimpelaar in the city centre. During the week I have office hours. That’s when I meet with my team and we do brainstorming and other organisational activities. The workload is quite reasonable and absolutely doable alongside my studies.
Would you advise other students to be active? Why?
Yes, I would advise students to become active. It is a great opportunity to develop yourself, have new experiences and apply knowledge you gained during your studies in real life: for example in strategy and marketing, which are topics in my study programme.
Have you had any unique experiences?
So far I have been to a conference in Tilburg, where all new board members of AIESEC in the Netherlands got together to learn about AIESEC's history and their specific functions. I am planning on going to an international conference soon. There is almost one every day somewhere in the world: AIESEC is present in more than 100 countries worldwide. About a month ago, 13 people from AIESEC Twente went to an international conference in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Do you think it has been good for your personal development?
Yes. When I joined AIESEC I had problems giving presentations in front of lots of people. I have been to a workshop about improving presentation skills and then I had to promote an event through lectures. I did three lectures where I had to present to groups of students. The first time I was really nervous but everything worked out quite well. Thus, I got more comfortable in talking to groups of people and improved my presentation skills. I am also going to a Photoshop workshop next week, to learn to design posters for our next marketing period. I have also learnt how to work in a team.
Why AIESEC and not another association or organisation?
At the beginning I only wanted to do an internship with AIESEC. That’s why I went to the AIESEC office and the information lunches. There I learnt about the availability of board positions. I thought, 'that’s a great opportunity for me, as I am interested in new cultures and want to develop myself in a professional manner'. Therefore, I wanted to become part of the world’s largest student-run organisation.
Are there opportunities for other students to become active in AIESEC?
Yes, we currently have part-time and full-time board positions available. The application deadline is April 30th. We are looking for enthusiastic & motivated students who want to develop themselves and make an impact on society. To apply students should send their CV and a motivation letter to [email protected].
Laura-Lisa Hellwig
