New members of the team!
The people in an organization are never static. There are so many changes within an organization: some new people join, others leave, someone gets a promotion, etc. That is also the case in Duurzame Student. You may know that this is a project from Studenten voor Morgen and that every year there are new project leaders. If not, read more about that on this page.
Anyway, a new year has started and two new project leaders from Studenten voor Morgen have joined the Duurzame Student team, along with a new Social Media Manager and a new Editor in Chief. In this article we’ll ask them questions about their positions and their interests so that you can get to know them as well.
Who are you and what is your new position?
Carmen: Hi, I’m Carmen and I’m the new Editor in Chief. I have been a writer at Duurzame Student since February this year and was ready for a new challenge. I’m currently doing my Masters on Ecology and Evolution at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). Before that I studied Future Planet Studies at the UvA. lsdfkjdalkdfakjfkladkfjdalkadfjkdka jafd fjsklsdkfjakl fdjajkdfjah jasfhjbvjsd
Lisa: I’m Lisa, and since July I’m one of the project managers. This means that together with Ana I run the behind-the-scenes of Duurzamestudent.nl. We form the bridge to Studenten voor Morgen, where I’m the student network coordinator. I’m also studying an Ecology master, but at Radboud University in Nijmegen. lsdfkjdalkdfakjf kladkfjdalkadfjkdka jafd fjsklsdkfjakl fdjajkdfjah jasfhjbvjsd
Ana: Hi, I’m Ana, and the other project manager since July (like Lisa). Working on Duurzame Student as a project of Studenten voor Morgen (SvM), I hope we can bring sustainability closer to the students in our network. For SvM I’m working as board member PR and communication as well as Green Office Coordinator. Besides the busy SvM life, I study the Masters on International Development Studies at Wageningen University.
Emma: Hi, my name is Emma and since October 1st I started as the new social media manager. I study International Law & Global Governance. With this I hope to help the world become a little bit better and nicer. In combination with a creative position in the Duurzame Student team I hope to activate people into action! lsdfkjdalkdfakjfkla dkfjdalkadfjkdka jafd fjsklsdkfjakl fdjajkdfjah jasfhjbvjsd
What do you like about your new position?
Carmen: I really like editing the articles of our writers. It’s great to learn about everyone’s writing style and preferred topics. It forces me to read articles outside of my comfort zone which make me learn a lot of new things.
Lisa: I like thinking about ways that Duurzame Student can still evolve, how we can make the platform better and reach even more writers & readers. We’re now also planning the next teambuilding activity, that’s also a lot of fun to do!
Ana: As mentioned, I hope to bring sustainability close to the students through Duurzame Student. Together with the team, I hope to bring Duurzame Student to a higher level, improve and grow our platform (like Lisa’s plants, with much love) and have more writers and of course even more readers! Exciting things are coming, so stay tuned (or join as a writer)…
Emma: It is a fun challenge to activate students, or other people, to create a more sustainable lifestyle and maybe educate them in a sort of way. We can learn something everyday and also for the team it is a learning process on how to optimise the platform that is created.
What got you into sustainability?
Carmen: I think I only realized during my studies how important sustainability is. During my Bachelor I learned a lot about the problem of climate change. It was pretty easy to become pessimistic about it. By now I have realized that we don’t have to sit back and wait for the inevitable to happen, there are actually things that we can do about it. Normal people, like you and me, we can make choices every day and although they feel small, they do have an impact. I think that realization made me want to inspire other people to look at the positive side of it as well.
Lisa: I’ve cared about nature for a long as I can remember, which is also why I started studying biology. However, like Carmen, during my studies I learned a lot more about how serious climate change is. The real turning point for me was when I saw the “A Life on Our Planet” documentary by David Attenborough. I joined a sustainable student organization, and formed my own little bubble of green people around me. Climate change is very scary and it’s easy to get pessimistic, but thinking about sustainability, ways I can do better, and motivating other people to do the same is actually very fun!
Ana: I have also cared a lot about nature since I was a little girl. However, it was only during my studies, like Carmen and Lisa (surprise, surprise), I really learned how big the problem was and how bad we need solutions. The biggest realization for me was when I was researching water supply in South-Africa and learned about Day Zero where they would be left without any water in Cape Town. This made me read more into climate change and its effects on the earth. I think that we, as the younger generation, can make the difference when it comes to solving the climate crisis and making a greener world for everyone. As Neil Armstrong once said: “One small step for man, is one giant leap for mankind”.
Emma: The proper realization that we cannot just sit back and wait for action to be taken was also during my studies. I have seen here that the people with power have all the influence and abilities to do or not do something and this is a very big aspect of the problem. Therefore, I hope to be able to make some difference one day in this field.
What do you do in your free time?
Carmen: I like to take walks in nature. I’m also quite creative, meaning that I’ll start a new creative hobby every month or so. It’s really nice to be making things out of nothing.
Lisa: I love going to concerts, listening to Taylor Swift, going to thrift stores, and baking.
Ana: Currently I’m trying to reach my reading goal… Never realized that 52 books in 9 months is so much! But besides that, I love to bake, I recently fell in love with yoga, and discover new places (sustainably of course).
Emma: I love being active and outside. Currently I am training to (hopefully) run a marathon some day. I also like to cook nice dinners but mostly for other people!
Want to know more about our team?
Of course the Duurzame Student team is more than just these people. On our About us page you can find information on all of the currently active writers. If you have any questions about us, feel free to ask them!