Why you applied to become an ambassador?
I have always been a big fan of the idea of CIVICA. I find it quite exciting that, as a student at a university within the alliance, one can connect with fellow students across nine other prestigious universities across Europe, which is quite a tremendous networking opportunity if utilised properly. Before Hertie, I studied at IE, where I attended a CIVICA Honors Seminar for the first time and had the opportunity to connect with other students from different universities, which led to cross-campus collaborations. When I started studying at the Hertie School, I wanted to ensure that students in the community were aware of this unique opportunity and that they were active beneficiaries of those same kinds of opportunities that CIVICA afforded me, and that was why I applied to become an ambassador.
What you have done through CIVICA?
At Hertie, I was part of the team that organized HackEd 2025. HackEd 2025 was a joint Student Engagement Fund project by the Hertie School Education Policy Club and IE Big Data and AI Club that brought participants from both universities for a two-day hackathon in Madrid geared towards using digital solutions to solve challenges in education. Working together in teams, students created innovative applications as solutions to challenges, and the winning team, selected by a panel of judges, developed an interactive learning platform that helps students with ADHD to study through personalized tools and tailored engagement with their course materials. In June this year, I joined over 200 other participants at the CIVICA CONNECT: Sports, Culture & Inclusion Festival at Giżycko – Wilkasy, Mazury Lakeside, and it was such a wonderful opportunity to connect through sports while getting to meet new people across the alliance. It was quite nice to visit the Mazury Lakeside, and I will continue to keep and cherish the fond memories of getting on a sailboat and playing goalball for the first time.
What you have learned and gained?
I have learned the power of collaboration, and CIVICA sort of provides this opportunity quite well. I have worked on projects with students at IE while at Hertie and even supported other students by connecting them with contacts across the alliance for projects that they will be working on, and that is the truest essence of why CIVICA is so important. I have gained lasting friendships, expanded my network, and met quite amazing and inspiring people during my time as an ambassador, and I will cherish those connections for a long time.
What was your favourite part about being an ambassador?
My favourite part was connecting the Hertie community with the larger CIVICA communities. When students from Hertie were applying for the SEF, they would reach out to me to connect them with student clubs across the alliance, and it was just fascinating to see the willingness to collaborate across and within the alliance and I found that quite reassuring while alliances like CIVICA should continue to be supported because they open doors for the exchange and implementation of ideas from students from diverse communities, backgrounds and interests.
Why should other students apply?
I am going to be biased here, but I think anyone would be missing out greatly if they are not trying to apply to be an ambassador. Take my word for it, this is the most wholesome community of inspiring students across Europe, and it would be great to expand your network just outside the lovely Hertie community. As an ambassador, you will be the point of contact between students at Hertie and the wider CIVICA community. Isn’t that cool? I could go on and on, but I will stop here and say: apply now and get to experience this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime journey of being a CIVICA Ambassador.
