When I started at Laureamko on Monday, March 23rd, a week had passed since the Government had declared a state of emergency. Restaurants were still open, and people were crossing the Uusimaa border as usual. Arriving at my new place of work, I was aware that after receiving my laptop, I would begin working from home immediately. This meant I would not be physically spending time at work for a while, which made me slightly worried about how I would settle into my new job. Compounding this concern was the fact that for the indeterminate future I would be working from my couch with my coworkers: Zoom icons.
My concern, however, turned out to be misplaced. The reception at Laureamko has been warm and training has been a breeze. Daily online coffee hours have created a feeling of communality despite the reality of social distancing. I have also had time to get to know my colleagues at Laurea and the other student unions. Communication is the backbone of any working organization, and over the past few weeks I have been convinced of the effectiveness of Laureamko’s advocacy.
So who am I? People call me Nick. I am Linguist from Jyväskylä, and I will (hopefully) be getting my BA soon. My move to Helsinki is currently a work in progress due to the situation at hand. I have been active in several student organizations during my studies in Jyväskylä. These include my own subject organization as well as the student union’s board of executives and council of representatives. I have experience as a student representative from several university and faculty level administrative bodies. I am excited to get to work on student advocacy in the UAS system.
Hopefully, the state of emergency and limitations on movement will be lifted sooner than later. Come say hi once we are all back on campus! In the meantime, it is important to stay in touch. Do not hesitate to let me or anyone else at Laureamko know about issues you are having with your studies or any suggestions you may have. Stay healthy, I will see you soon!
Written: Nikolas Bursiewicz. Specialist, advocacy.