Third year of my career as Secretary General started about a week ago. The way I see it, the turn of the year is one of the best moments of the work year because there are lots of very different emotions on one’s mind. On one hand I feel wistfulness and pride, a new kind of motivation and energy on the other.
The wistfulness is especially connected with having to “let go” of many close fellow workers: the past year’s Executive Board’s members and the Chair. At the end of the year, one gets to be part of wrapping up the Board’s work and dealing with the emotions brought up by the ending of the term of office. There’s a huge gamut of emotions: pride from the work done, heavy-heartedness of the end of the Executive Board’s year, emotions concerning the continuation of the studies, emotions concerning the beginning of next year’s exciting duties and positions of trust, just to name a few.
At the end of the year, it is also being observed what has been achieved together with the Board and the whole office. The main feeling associated with reporting the year is huge pride. This time, it has been especially great to read from the year’s documentation all that has been achieved in this challenging year of corona. Strict advocacy, office work or supporting association actions did not stop in the period of being remote. Alongside with success, I’m thinking back to the hard decisions on cancelling events. Now, at the start of the new year, it’s rather exciting to ponder the renewal of traditions so that we wouldn’t have to cancel anything in 2021 – only to organise in a different way.
In addition to all this, the office is looking to the future as well. We are introducing the new Executive Board to the work, thinking new ground rules, and getting to know each other. New members of the Board and the new Chair working with me bring about buckets of new ideas, new energy, and passionate eagerness to promote the things that are important to them. The whole office gets to enjoy this shot in the arm, and the mood carries us long over the dark winter to spring.
I feel curious and excited about the new year: TREY’s Action Plan for the year 2021 is intriguing. This following year we will focus on for example strengthening the student-oriented Student Union, sustainable campuses, and international student community. We will also develop the new Student Union’s action another step further: we will contemplate the updating process of the Strategy, discuss the values steering the management of finances and perfect the office’s working culture. Also, I am eagerly waiting for the student community’s discussion on TREY’s action and the developing missions that are under planning. Let’s be in touch!