Nicole, who took part in the Voice of Youth project, called on young people to take a step forward in their development. She tells us why she believes that even the wrong steps are an important part of our development. She also tells us about what inspires her, what she likes about working with communications, and many other interesting stories!

Introduce yourself in a few words 🙂

This task has always been difficult for me. I always want people not to fit in a few words. My name is Nicole, I’m from Sofia and I’m on the verge of completing a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. I am also in the process of preparing for active participation in the “Together in class” program as a teacher. I realized that even if I tried to run away from writing, it always managed to catch up with me.

How did you find out about the European Solidarity Corps and what motives you to join this project?

I found out about the European Solidarity Corps through the Erasmus + student exchange program, in which I participated in the third year at the university. I joined various Facebook groups that offer similar projects, and there was often European Solidarity Corps opportunities. I checked the site, read some details and it seemed like a logical next step and a suitable choice.

Have you been a volunteer before?

I volunteered for short periods of time during the kvARTal festival during my first year at university and then at the CineLibri film and literature festival, but this was my first encounter with long-term volunteering.

What were your tasks as a volunteer in The Voice of Youth?

My tasks were standard for the position of Communications and PR specialist – writing articles and press releases, helping organize events and recruiting participants for youth meetings, maintaining a website and social networks, and even some basic tasks related to design. The work is dynamic and requires a lot of flexibility, and you never know exactly what you might be asked to do the next day. For many people, this is the charm of the position.

What challenges did you face during your volunteering?

Clichés are inevitable here, but the most important thing I realized is that no matter how hard it is for me to break myself through a certain prism or to do at least one new thing for me every day without losing the desire to work every morning, it is completely achievable. That’s why it’s important to do meaningful things for others – to have something bigger than your own ego to pull you forward. This is the biggest challenge – calling someone, even though it makes you feel anxious, writing social media posts, even though it’s your first time, just because you know that this useful thing will reach more people.

Has the pandemic affected your activities and tasks?

Definitely yes. I wanted to attend many more real events than I had the opportunity to. I am sure that live meeting with young people has a very invigorating and positive effect, as well as the participation in discussions, but the adaptation to completely unknown situations also has its advantages. It makes you more independent.

Would you volunteer again and why?

I continue my development in the organization and the team of “Together in class” and not just in the name of a cause, but because I recognize it as my personal one. I think that volunteering for the Voice of the Youth project has a huge credit for the fact that I managed to gather courage and follow my childhood dream. You never know which step will lead you to which solution, and there is no “right” or “wrong.”

What would you say to others to inspire people to volunteer?

Continuing the previous answer, I would say just dare yourself, search and try. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself and don’t wait for opportunities to come to you on your own. Volunteering is a very good way to acquire professional skills in a friendly environment and to ask all the questions you would not ask because you think they are stupid. It is also a very effective way to test your own boundaries and barriers and overcome them. Grab a handful of the opportunities offered by the European Solidarity Corps and all such projects, because there is nothing worse than thoughts like “what if I had tried …?”

 

 

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