Alice joined us as a European Solidarity Corps volunteer at the start of January, bringing with her a contagious energy and a strong passion for supporting our educational projects. Over the past two months, she has dedicated herself to contributing to our team’s initiatives, always eager to make a positive impact. Beyond her role in education, Alice has shown a remarkable commitment to supporting various projects and actions that align with our organization’s mission. In this brief interview, Alice will share her experience as an ESC volunteer in Brussels over the last two months.
How did you hear about the European Solidarity Corps?
Alice: When I was doing my bachelor’s in international and sustainable development, I was looking for ways to get involved with an association abroad and someone mentioned the European Solidarity Corps. I was impressed by the number of different projects available and the opportunity to travel at the same time. I was also surprised by the fact that so many people don’t know about the ESC. Unfortunately, between the pandemic and the pursuing of my studies, I didn’t get the time to do my ESC volunteering, but I’ve had the idea of doing it for 6 years already! In the meantime, I talked about it to many friends who were able to volunteer with ESC before I took the time to do it myself. I am trying to spread the word about these opportunities because it allows you to get professional experience as a volunteer, and to get an understanding of how associations work.
Was it easy to apply for the volunteer work you’re doing now? What inspired you to volunteer?
Alice: It was very easy: I sent my application, the next day I received an email saying STC was interested in my profile, the next day I had an interview and the day after I received the great news that they chose me to be the next ESC volunteer! I got really interested by this opportunity since I have just graduated from my Master and wanted to get an enriching volunteering experience in the sector I want to work in, before finding a job.
How have your first few months in Brussels been?
Alice: Amazing. I love this City, I have always said that one day I would live in Brussels, and I am glad I ended up doing it! My volunteering started only a few days after I moved to Brussels, so it was great to be immediately integrated into a super nice team with lovely coworkers. Also, being involved in an association helps to get a sense of community very quickly. As an ESC volunteer, the working environment at STC is really special and precious since we work together a lot, we have a great balance between responsibilities and freedom, and we are not only considered as volunteers but as important team members.
What skills do you hope to learn during this period?
Alice: My tasks at Serve the City are split between education-related projects and sustainability-related work. On the educational side, I would like to develop skills in coordination and management. Then, I am also looking forward to starting my work about sustainability since I am starting from 0 and have so many ideas and possibilities. Since I have a background in science in sustainable development, I have never been confronted with data collection, reporting, and legal documents’ redaction, which would be very useful for my future career.
In the coming months, we will be writing two more articles about Alice: one to check in on her progress six months into the volunteering program, and another to reflect on her entire ESC experience.
Financed by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the International Youth Bureau. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
