Today we introduce you to Catherine – a young woman who, from an early age, is confident in his vocation and follows it closely. However, her worldview has changed after her volunteer project and new events / people have inspired her – find out in her interview! 🙂

Hello, how are you?

Hello. I’m fine, thanks. I just came from work and then I will have to go back to work. 

Introduce yourself in a few words

My name is Catherine Areyby, I’m from Varna. I graduated in psychology – bachelor, and master degree. In fact, this is my hobby – psychology. It is good that it is somehow connected to the activity I perform. 

How did you decide to focus on psychology?

I decided it in the ninth grade. At that time we began studying the philosophical cycle, ninth grade is when we studied psychology. From there I got keen, it was very interesting and I said to myself “That’s it, I have to become a psychologist one day”. 

Tell us about the place where you volunteer

I volunteer at the SOS Families at Risk Foundation , at the children’s center, where I work with children of different ages. I organize their free time, which is a lot. In fact, it’s not enough, as they also have a lot of commitments with the school. Basically, that’s it, we work with them, my responsibilities revolve around them.

Have you always wanted to work with children?

No, I never thought about it, I wasn’t even interested. I imagined working with adults. I had completely different interests. But one day something happened and it turned out that I like working with children.

Have you been a volunteer before?

It’s my first time. 

How did you decide to become a volunteer?

I found an ad on a site quite by accident, I did not tell myself that I want to do this. I was looking for a job related to what I was studying. I saw the ad and applied to volunteer… and here I am!

What did you learn during your project?

When you work with children, you learn something new not every day, but maybe every hour. They are very interesting at all ages. We will not have time to list everything I have learned from them. 

Do you have a favorite moment?

There are a lot of fun and dramatic moments. However, we work with children who have had difficulties in life, in one direction or another. I am very happy that they somehow manage to preserve themselves and enjoy the little things. They are as excited as any other teenager about mainstream topics. As it is with our children, they are no different from others. So there are many good moments, we are constantly laughing and having fun. I can’t rate these moments, everything is good.

What do you do during free time for children?

Now, with school, there was a time when they were online and their free time was spent writing homework and learning lessons. But we still managed to find a gap for something more pleasant. We do all sorts of things. We play games, watch movies, go out and take walks. In summer we even often go to the beach. They love to talk and share their emotions. 

What inspires you?

I am inspired by the children’s attitude towards me. It’s a sign to me that I’ve done a good job with them. That’s enough for me to see the feedback.

Did the pandemic hinder your work?

As I said, with all the homework there was a moment when it was too much for me. In general, I do not think we noticed it affecting our work. In the foundation, it is dynamic constantly – with or without a pandemic. The wheel turns and so do we.

Have you thought about doing a personal project?

Honestly, an individual idea never came to me. We discussed with the other SOS volunteers to do something together. One of the volunteers gave a very good and interesting idea. I would be happy to get involved in its development. I’m not going to tell it now because it’s not mine, I will let Gabrielle share it with you.

Why should young people volunteer?

What can I say – it’s very nice to be a volunteer. Really. Being a volunteer somewhere is not just giving away for free, you get a lot out of it too. I got a lot of warmth, a lot of energy from this job, and meeting a lot of new, different people. Do good, people!

Do you have any idea what you’ll do after the end of the project?

Yes, I have an idea. As I said, psychology is my vocation and I plan to take it down that road. Otherwise, there are always goals, one ends, and then you mark another one…

Tell us in three words, how would you describe your experience?

It has always been very difficult for me to express myself in two or three words, I am a detailed person. In the first place “experience”. That is what I think is most important. Experience, challenge, and inspiration.

 

 

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