PEOPLE
Team & Participants
Meet the Team
Trainer
Tulle Mouridsen
From academic excellence to military leadership, Tulle embodies a boundless passion and dedication. Her talents span from external communications to software development, business relations, and educational content – she can do it all!
After a few momentous years in the UK and Bali, Tulle set out on path to advance her beliefs from within the military branch of the Danish Army.
Rather fittingly to match her chosen career path, she is inspired by people’s strength and perseverance, especially under difficult circumstances, and in line with that, she firmly believes in doing the right thing.
Her work is defined by versatility and dreaming big, and she says that with passion and hard work, any idea can become reality.
Be it at the cross-fit gym, maintaining her 1000+ day Duolingo streak, or in her work, these are undeniably qualities that she manifests herself in spades, making her a driving force behind The VALE!
Trainer
Riikka Pasanen
Riikka is a skilled trainer and a project manager, whose creative thinking and dedication towards anything she does inspires the people around her. She has a Master’s degree in Political Science from University of Helsinki and a strong background in Governance and Organisational Communication. Due to her work with the European Youth Forum and the Council of Europe, she is The VALE’s go-to person when it comes to youth, democracy and bureaucracy!
She believes in leading by example, with “kindness and grace” all the way. Recently she’s been on a journey to deepen her understanding on the Way of Council methodology, hone her skills in the art of having tough conversations and re-learn Swedish on Duolingo.
Riikka is one of the guiding forces behind The VALE’s mission, bringing stellar expertise and heart to everything she does.
Look forward to excellent hugs, lots of laughter and thoughtful conversations when meeting Riikka. Telling her a joke "that is so bad it's good" is also a surefire way to spark a smile!
Partner
Vilma Seikkula
Vilma is the National Director for Youth For Understanding Norge and has held that position since August 2019. She hails from a remote Finnish village and completed her university studies in Tallinn, Estonia.
Being frequently on the move, rumour has it she’s rarely spotted anywhere for longer than a few days at a time. Wherever she goes, however, she can still be found at a Clarion, her favorite hotel chain. She relaxes reading books, doing crossword puzzles and watching TikToks. She works extremely hard during the week and takes surprisingly many naps on Saturdays to balance that out.
She has her nest at the YFU Norway office, where she spends her days coordinating Norwegian employees and volunteers and talking with international partners.
Trainer
Erik Sundberg
Native to Sweden but a true citizen of the world, Erik always brings endless amounts of energy and innovative ideas to share!
Immersed in the world of tech, he pursues MSc degree in Sociotechnical Systems Engineering and recently completed a Wallenberg Fellowship at Nordic Innovation House in Silicon Valley, specialising in machine learning and AI. His mission is clear: that technological development is used for the greater good!
Within The VALE team, Erik plays a dynamic role. He’s a strategic thinker, always several steps ahead, and his consensus-building skills keep the team in harmony. Erik’s versatility shines as he adapts his skill set to meet the team’s diverse needs – a trait that suits him well in his new-found passion of Brazilian jiu-jitsu!
“Values are the compass, but skills are the sails that propel us forward”, he says. At The VALE, Erik finds immense personal fulfilment in helping our remarkable participants blend both these critical elements. That way they can not only dream of a better world, but also have the tools to build it.
Trainer
Louisa Richter
A VALE alumni herself, Louisa is the team's resident German psycholinguist with a passion for personal growth and an impressive educational drive, seeing she's currently getting her PhD.
When not immersed in academia, Louisa relaxes by going for nature walks, reading, and experimenting with vegan cooking – do not miss a chance to swap cooking tips with her! She says she freezes very easily, which makes her tendency to go adventurous road trips that involve snow and sleeping in a tent in the winter even more impressive!
One of her favourite inspirational quotes is, 'Over every mountain, there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley' by Theodore Roethke. It is a reminder of her determination to overcome obstacles and seek solutions even when they're not immediately visible.
As a trainer, Louisa is goal-oriented, creative, and structured, and loves doing trainings for volunteers and diving deep into educational materials.
Helping Hand(s)
Robertas Borisas and Aurelia
Robert, lovingly known in some circles as "the Father", is our very own jack-of-all-trades house gnome and helper who goes out of his way to ensure a smooth operation. Being a PE teacher and professional handball coach, he enjoys physical activities such as running after a toddler. When not busy attending to the needs of our youngest participant, Robert can be found driving to the store, helping in the kitchen or enjoying a great conversation.
Aurelia, also known as "The Baby", was born in June 2022. She especially enjoys stealing pens and markers, and phones. Aurelia has already attended various uni courses, gone to multiple classes in primary school and just recently started out in kindergarten, so obviously attending a continuous education course like The VALE is just the next logical step in her pursuit of education.
Trainer
Trine Tamm
Trine has a diverse educational background with a B.Sc in international relations and psychology from the University of Tartu, a certificate in adult education and is currently pursuing a M.Ed degree in Andragogy. She was a part of launching the United Nations Youth Delegate programme in Estonia and later worked as its national coordinator, giving her a strong understanding of supranational politics and international cooperation. Wielding spreadsheets and flipcharts like fierce weapons for change, she also holds the title of being The VALE’s in-house expert on Evaluation and Quality Labels for Education™ and quality flipchart markers.
One of Trine’s core missions is to help young leaders grow into better leadership role models, and The VALE very much helps her fulfil this mission. Trine herself feels especially inspired by women who are capable of many things – with a dream of one day sitting down with Brené Brown for a delightful conversation.
Her thirst for knowledge and her passion for balance shine through in her work both inside and outside of The VALE.
Social Media Intern
Sanni Granqvist
Our ray of sunshine ensures our social media channels are buzzing. She is a BA student of International Business Communication in the Netherlands. Currently she’s returned to her roots by doing the autumn semester as an Erasmus+ student in her home country Finland
Sanni takes care of her plants and immerses herself in podcasts when she's not cooking social media magic. In the past years she has found the joy of spending quality time by herself, and truly enjoys long walks, going rollerskating and reading. At one moment, you can find her at the gym doing a group lesson or a dance class and on another one, having drinks with friends on a terrace somewhere. Sanni says her secret talents are being able to fall asleep whenever and wherever and speaking Spanish, Dutch and German. She also loves potatoes in all their forms, even cold from the fridge!
Sanni hopes to transfer The VALE's enchantment into our digital presence and is always ready to lend a hand to keep our course running smoothly by helping the trainers and our house mæster Kista when necessary.
House Maester
Kista Kallavus
Our Estonian Housemæster has a deep connection to Africa - just ask her anything about West Africa and see the spark in her eye!
Her role is to ensure our course participants are well-fed. Kista enjoys disc golf, savouring meals, and relaxation. Her tattooed reminder, "not all those who wander are lost," perfectly embodies her outlook on life.
Her favourite cuisines include West African, Indian, Korean, and Italian. She's a vegan who loves spicy foods grows her own jalapeño and habanero peppers - but she's also understanding of mixed eaters or people like Riikka who consider black peppers "spicy".
She's thrilled to introduce our course participants to the delights of Norwegian Taco Friday and to dive into the exciting world of planning and budgeting.
Some statistics
Introductions
You have the opportunity to learn more about our group of participants through these short introductions.
Here's a challenge for you: for each person, find something that you two have in common.
Ada Açelya Daloğlu
I am a psychology student at METU, Ankara. I was in a boarding high school in Istanbul in the past few years. I like dancing, skiing and ceramics. I have volunteered in several different NGO's but YFU Turkey is the longest volunteering experience I have. I have been a YFU volunteer since 2019 and I have been actively taking part in all of the YFU activities. Right now we are running an EU project named "Dialogue for Change through Art and Culture – Youth for Dialogue" that I am leading. I like dancing, skiing and ceramics.
Location: Ankara, Turkey
Email: ada.acelya@gmail.com
Aline Nicolai
I started at the YFU Global Office in April 2023 as an intern in membership and quality management. I volunteer in many roles: as a fundraising officer at a newly established human rights organisation, as an HR specialist for volunteer management at a global wellness NGO, and as a digital coordinator for the Belgian branch of said wellness organisation. In terms of studies, I have degrees in human resources and international business management, and my hobbies include drawing, graphic design, animated movies, martial arts, and meditation.
I feel very passionately about youth leadership. I think some of it has to do with the fact that where I come from, in India, respecting your elders (and by association their opinions and values) is so entrenched in societal interactions that youth voices are taken as impertinent and irrelevant. I dramatise and generalise for effect but this is the general trend. I have been the coordinator and trainer of 30 core team members and 100 volunteers during an alpine ski World Cup race in Italy. I have also led small groups of Amazon employees through personal development sessions on topics related to time management and CV building. I was an 'English as a second language' mentor in summer camps in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Email: alinesn99@gmail.com
Mustafa Andım Çoban
I'm the Istanbul Local Chapter Leader and the Trainer Manager of Jugendbotschafter e.V under the German-Turkish Youth Bridge. I lead projects and trainings regarding youth inclusivity and youth activism. Also, I am one of the core volunteers of YFU Turkey. I help coordinate the event and training management of our orientations. I always dreamt of having a voice and making a positive impact. This interest of mine led me to be an exchange student in the USA for a year. During my exchange year, my interest in diplomacy and international relations only grew stronger. I have not only attended but also taken part in the organization of many Model United Nations conferences, and also participated in several European Solidarity Corps and Erasmus+ projects, and most recently I became a participant in the Council of Europe trainers' training.
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Email: andmcbn@gmail.com
Anja Class
I am currently in a master's program for Public and Nonprofit Studies. I have been a volunteer with YFU for nine years in multiple leadership positions. I also volunteered for Amnesty International, Refugees and with Viva con Agua. I have been the leader of the second most powerful committee in YFU Germany for more than two years. Before that I have been leading a team of volunteers doing marketing and on the board of the regional organization of southern Germany. I work professionally as a trainer for volunteer management.
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Email: anja.class@yfu-deutschland.de
Annika Termonen
I am starting my final year of bachelor's degree in social sciences. I am currently looking into writing my bachelor's thesis on non-formal education, and am applying for a master's degree in Development, education and international cooperation. I have volunteered with YFU since 2018, when I came back from my exchange. First working more with inbound students as a peer, then leading workshops at orientations and now within the last two years leading orientations and participating in international trainings and events. My hobbies currently include theatre and climbing. I am the kind of person to always get excited to try new things, so it is subject to change at any moment.
Diego Lussheimer
I was born and raised in Uruguay. I'm an architect with a master's degree in the Conservation and Restoration of Architectural Heritage. I started volunteering at YFU Uruguay ten years ago. In the last years of my career as a volunteer, I took some roles of leadership, such as organising orientations, and even international training courses like Compass in Latinoamérica. I was the leader of the group of Interviews and Scholarship in YFU Uruguay, being a really important role model to the volunteers and staff of the office. I'm passionate about all the things I do, I'm a graphic artist, but also a barista and a volunteer in YFU. All these things I do with passion and I'm willing to continue doing them for many years. Nowadays I live in Madrid, Spain and I've fallen in love with the city and the people.
Location: Madrid, Spain
Email: dmluss8@gmail.com
Eline Van der Jonckheyd
I grew up in Belgium but never felt I truly belonged there - apart from the moments I was horseback riding, but to be honest I would even feel at home on Mars if there were horses there. The first opportunity I got to really see the world was when I was 15 when I got to do a little exchange to Hungary. After that, a YFU exchange to Uruguay gave me the opportunity to start understanding another part of the world's population. Although in a sense my exchange year wasn't the time of my life, I did learn a lot, the most important lesson being that a person can't be reduced to their behaviour or mistakes, and maybe even the definition of a mistake is subjective, maybe that good and bad aren't that black and white.
Once back in Belgium, I studied translation and a postgraduate in Sustainable Development. Throughout those studies I've had the opportunity to travel and live in more countries in Latin and North America, almost all of them staying with local families, which is my absolute favourite way to travel. In the last few months of my studies, I got a job offer in Sevilla, Spain. Six years later I changed jobs and partner, but I'm still a proud Belgian sevillana. I've been volunteering for YFU for about 12 years now (first in Belgium and then in Spain). I've been coordinator of both inbound and outbound orientations, I've organized the volunteer weekend, and taken care of some activities we organize for or host families and students. At the moment, I’m also the coordinator of the Andalusian region.
Location: Sevilla, Spain
Email: eline@yfu-es.org
Johanna Burström
I work full-time as a consultant within water resources at Ramboll Sweden. Right now I'm involved in the Ramboll Water NextGen Forum and I'm trying to increase the collaboration with the Norwegian offices, having joint projects and so on. My studies were within water and environmental engineering, and right now I'm trying to aim my work more towards drinking water. I've been an active leader in YFU for several years as a volunteer; orientation and workshop leader and international campaign leader. I've had several project managing positions at my student union and I've led a sanitation solution project in Tanzania for Engineers Without Borders Sweden. In my free time, I'm a climbing instructor which means a lot of pep talk to teenagers who are testing their mental limits.
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Email: johanna.burstrom@ramboll.se
Julius Henf
I am currently studying electrical engineering in Hamburg. I also work as a student assistant at my university where I do research about optical structures. I am representing the Protestant Scouts Germany (VCP) on the board of “Jugendkammer” (an executive board) of the Protestant Youth in Berlin Brandenburg Schlesische-Oberlausitz (EJBO). We are responsible for financial topics, human resource issues, public positioning papers, campaigns and supervision of working groups. I am also the head of the board at a small association called “Hilfe fairMitteln e. V.”. I founded this association together with 10 other people to continue working on a chatbot we developed at a Hackathon. This chatbot should help children in danger to find a suitable telephone number.
After my exchange year 2017/18 in Estonia I started volunteering with YFU, and since 2021 I have been a leading volunteer for public relations in Schleswig-Holstein, and a member of a local group's executive board at YFU Germany. There I am responsible for public relations on a local scale. In my free time, I like to program or go for walks.
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Email: julius.henf@yfu-deutschland.de
Kiia Huttunen
I am currently pursuing a PhD in Psychology at the University of Bristol as part of a project called “Protecting the Democratic Information Space in Europe” (PRODEMINFO). My research focuses on examining norm violations by political elites and how these are differentially tolerated by people depending on their perceptions of truth i.e., whether they prefer accuracy or sincerity. I have been with the Scouts for a long time, my positions ranging from leading cub scouts, being an assistant troop leader, an assistant contingent leader at an international camp of 5000 participants in Iceland, and a Head of Contingent for World Scout Moot 2021 that never came thanks to the pandemic.
Outside the Scouts, I have been in charge of organising several YFU orientations, mainly for students who were going to or coming from South Korea and Japan. I have worked as an English teacher in Japan and in the Council of Europe’s Youth Department. My passport says I’m Finnish but in the last two years have spent more time in Mexico scuba diving than I have in Finland. I guess you could say I don’t like to settle down for too long. Despite this, whenever I can completely disconnect from daily life I am content. Especially, if it is underwater with splendid toadfish.
Location: Bristol, UK
Email: kiia.huttunen@partio.fi
Konstantin Pelz
I am currently writing my master's thesis in Biomedical Informatics. I have studied abroad a lot, e.g., at Universidad de Alicante in Spain, at the Medical University of Innsbruck in Austria, and at Stanford University in the USA). Ever since I came back from exchange in 2015 I have been an active YFU volunteer, both on the local level but also the international like the Let's Grow Together project. I love seminars but also spent a couple of years on the Bavarian board, supporting volunteer development. After my Erasmus in 2019, I also started to be a volunteer for my local ESN chapter. I love to make music and am excited that I joined an amateur musical group here in Munich where I will be playing one of the main roles. Other than that I am a sporty person and love all sports with a ball.
Location: Münich, Germany
Email: konstantin.pelz@online.de
Lenka Kováčová
I did a high school exchange program year in Germany, pursued a Bc. in Geography of Central Europe focusing on cross-border cooperation, and had two Erasmus experiences in Germany and one in France. I have volunteered for the International wheelchair table tennis tournament Cheb Open (8 seasons) and for Čojč theatre, where we connect young Czechs and Germans through a new common language (čojč). I was the event manager at ESN Usti (Erasmus Student Network at my university) for a time. I currently work as the Programs and Administrative Assistant at the YFU Global Office. My hobbies are cakes (baking, decorating, tasting, giving to friends and family...cakes for life!), improv theatre, travel and sci-fi.
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Email: lenka@yfu.world
Magdalena Sierotnik
I am currently in my third year of studying psychology. I am deeply interested in understanding the human mind and emotions, and my long-term goal is to become a psychotherapist. At the age of 15, a significant event occurred with the passing of my father, who had been president and founder of The Society for the Protection of Children Rights "Island" (original language: Towarzystwo Ochrony Praw i Godności Dziecka "Wyspa"). In honour of his legacy, my mother and I took up the mantle and started running the organization, where I currently work. This experience ignited my passion for making a positive impact in my community. I am responsible for a group that plans events for children in the local community. We also take the initiative to discuss and address important socio-political issues that affect the community., I also take on the role of a coordinator for international projects. Outside of work, I have a creative side that I love to explore. I find solace and self-expression in artistic endeavours such as painting, sketching, singing, and playing the piano. I am an empathetic individual with a strong love for animals. Whenever I come across an animal in need, I do my best to provide assistance and care. This deep connection with animals has taught me the value of compassion and kindness towards all living beings.
Location: Chorzów, Poland
Email: madziasierotnik@gmail.com
Marie-Cecilie v. Braunschweig
My academic journey began at Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, where I pursued my Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, including an Erasmus+ semester at the University of Economics Wrocław in Poland. While continuing a full-time job, I pursued a Master's degree in Business Consulting and Digital Management at the FOM. Since 2021, I started as a senior consultant for digitalization and strategy projects. Currently, I am a project manager for implementing new software tools in immigration offices all over Germany. I have had the chance to volunteer in different areas, like in the election office or helping disabled people have the chance to spend a day at the beach of a lake. A YFU event I would like to pick out was a creative Turkish-German summer camp by YFU for 50 teenagers where I had a leadership role.
Location: Berlin, Germany
Email: mcvb94@gmail.com
Mario David Tabares
I graduated from the University of Buenos Aires with a Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources and Law, followed by a master's in Management and Development. Currently, I am putting my analytical skills into practice by pursuing a Master's Degree in Data Analysis and Strategic Human Resources Management. I am currently the COO of Ensuro, a cutting-edge startup using blockchain technology. Simultaneously, I am the Founder and COO at WohrX Group, an entrepreneurial initiative specialising in HR and Labor Law solutions. Since the early age of 14, I have been involved in non-profit organizations such as AFS and YFU, assuming various leadership roles. Currently, I collaborate as a mentor in a program focused on professional development and job placement in collaboration with my alma mater in Argentina. I define myself as disciplined, focused and with a growth mindset, generosity and the grit necessary to pursue my dreams and coelevate the people around me.
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Email: mariodavid.tabares@gmail.com
Maz Bednarczyk
I hold two undergraduate degrees, one in International Security, one in Finno-Ugric Philology, and a graduate degree in Crisis Management. At the beginning of my academic career, I focused on researching Finland’s national security strategy and its impact on the Baltic Sea region. I later moved on to research peace education and international exchange programs as tools for building human security at the grassroots level. In my day-to-day job, I coordinate a virtual leader(ship) development programme for Atlas Corps – a social enterprise dedicated to bridging the gap between opportunity and talent by empowering emerging leaders around the world and supporting organizations for long-term impact. Before that, I interned at the European Foundation of Human Rights – a non-governmental organization helping victims of human rights violations and hate crimes.
I was the National Volunteer Coordinator of YFU Poland in 2015-2018, Board Member of YFU Czech Republic in 2017-2018, Senior Education Team Leader at the YES between 2018-2022 and Chair of Board of YFU Poland in 2022. Through the goals I have set for myself in 2023, I primarily dedicate my spare time to personal and professional development through books, podcasts, TED Talks, and coaching. Effectively, my main hobby as of now is growth.
Location: Vilnius, Lithuania
Email: maz@atlascorps.org
Miriam Stocker
I am a psychology student at the end of my Masters. I've been volunteering in several contexts ever since I was a kid. After my exchange year in the US, I became a volunteer at Partnership International e.V. and have been there ever since. I've been a volunteer at Partnership for ten years now and most of my time there I've spent doing seminars which included leading a team of 4-8 other volunteers. I was also co-head of a student organization during my Bachelor's studies for two semesters which included leading a team of 8-10 other volunteers. In my free time, I love to travel and have lived abroad for longer periods three times (in the US, Ireland, and Italy). My current plan is to work in training and development after finishing my degree.
Location: Leipzig, Germany
Email: mstocker98@googlemail.com
Nele-Rita Põldma
I am currently a full-time biology student at the University of Tartu, minoring in psychology. I am going to defend my bachelor's thesis in January and hope to continue my studies abroad. To support my studies, I am a tutor/private teacher for children in various subjects, mainly focused on teaching maths, chemistry and languages. I speak five languages in total and am currently picking up Norwegian on Duolingo. I spend a lot of my free time in YFU – this summer I'm volunteering at different YFU events for around 20-25 days in total and I love it.
During the past year, I was the leader of the inbound student group at YFU Estonia. This means I organized all 4 seminars for the inbound students and managed a team of 25-30 volunteers throughout the year. I was also an IGL at the YES seminar this year and have held numerous workshop leader roles both in the inbound and outbound student groups of YFU Estonia, where I have gained experience in facilitating sessions and leading a group towards an understanding of different topics using interactive methods. I really enjoy spending time outdoors either running, going for walks, biking or swimming.
Location: Tartu, Estonia
Email: nelerita@yfu.ee
Nicola Claire Hallmann
I’m currently a Master’s student in “Interdisciplinary Natural Sciences”, majoring in Biology and Computer Science at ETH Zurich. I love my area of research, Epigenetics and Computational (Systems) Biology. I think it is fascinating and highly relevant to our understanding of the workings of biological systems and thus crucial e.g. for the improvement of medical intervention. For 3.5 years I was a student representative in the teaching commission of the Science in Perspective program, which aims to provide seminars that connect STEM to social, political, and philosophical questions.
I’m a volunteer with YFU Germany, where I teamed a number of seminars and have also led a few and am currently a regional coordinator for short seminars for inbound students in the southwest of the country. The most significant leadership experience I have had outside of YFU has been for KOSTA, the organiser of the annual Polyball, taking place at ETH Zurich. It is the largest decorated ball in Europe with a total of 9.000 attendants. At KOSTA, I headed the department “Set-up” (Aufbau) from 2016 to 2022. For large parts of my life, I did competitive sports like skiing and ballroom dancing. Now I mainly do ballet and jazz dance but I would love to get back to ballroom dancing.
Location: Zürich, Switzerland
Nicole Celina
I grew up in a small town near Würzburg. For twelve years I danced competitively and while I still love dancing recreationally, I left the team when I graduated High School because I wanted to move to a different city and focus on other things. I live in Munich now and I’m happily studying secondary education to hopefully work as an English teacher and an educational psychologist one day. In 2016/17 I studied abroad in the United States and ever since my return I’ve been a YFU volunteer especially active in the outbound program. I’m grateful for all the inspiring people I’ve met through volunteering and the countless ways it has helped me grow. Apart from that I spend a lot of my free time with family and friends and I’ve found that that is very important for my wellbeing.
This is my second year as a member of the YFU board in Bavaria which has allowed me to take on a lot of new responsibilities. I feel that I am still growing into the role, but I am also proud of the progress I’ve already made. I’ve managed to build up a lot more courage regarding taking on new challenges and I regularly ask for feedback so I can continue to grow.
Location: Munich, Germany
Raya BouJaber
Being a social activist within the past 10 years, shaped my personality, increased my passion for youth issues and women empowerment, and engraved my willingness to be a good role model for young people. As a youth member of the Global Youth Leadership Advisory Board (GYLAB) with Digital Opportunity Trust, we help inform and guide current and future DOT programs through an effective feedback loop that prioritizes youth voices and local context. In this role, I was selected as chair for several times. I was a researcher in Participatory Action Research executed by UNICEF Lebanon (08/2018 - 08/2020), which is youth-led research that emphasizes the participation of communities on issues of concern.
Moreover, I was Scout Charted Organization Representative (2011 - 2019), mainly leading and providing coordination between all units, training youth members through scouting programs. I was also a delegate with Generation for Peace-Jordan (2014 - 2017) empowering youth to promote active tolerance and responsible citizenship in communities experiencing conflict and violence. I currently work in a global network NGO on youth empowerment, daring social innovators who have the tools, knowledge and networks to create opportunities and transform their own communities. And this enhanced my passion for youth empowerment in an inclusive digital economy as well.
Location: Beirut, Lebanon
Email: raya.boujaber@gmail.com
Rhiannon Williams
My family is from New Zealand, but I grew up in Germany. I’m currently finishing my bachelor's in Political Science (minoring in Cultural Science and Media Science) at the University of Regensburg. For three years before and after my volunteer year in Paraguay in 2018/19 I worked as a fashion consultant for high-end boutiques. Afterwards, I started working for the culture department of the Upper Palatinate district. My areas of expertise are in folk music and traditional costumes.
For the last three years, I've been leading the Bavarian PR department of YFU Germany and as well as being very active on our national PR board. I'm also on the board for YFU Bavaria and am part of a small project group trying to make YFU and its PR more diverse, without it being "diversity"-washed. Outside of YFU, I am currently leading a project that analyses cases of violence against LGBTQI*+ people and collects those stories via interviews.
Location: Regensburg, Germany
Sina Riz à Porta
I am currently a student of English and French languages and literature at the University of Bern and am about to embark on an exchange to Limerick, Ireland. I work in the HR department of a large hospital and as an exam supervisor for language certifications. In terms of volunteering, most of my time is taken up by YFU, but I also sporadically help out with human rights and climate activism with various groups in my city. I was also an intern in youth activism coordination at Amnesty International, where I was in charge of about 50 local Amnesty Youth Groups in Switzerland.
I am an avid reader and book-buyer (yes, those are two entirely separate hobbies of mine) and in recent years I have gotten into some endurance sports like long-distance running and triathlon, which I am pretty bad at but enjoy the challenge of. I also play the ukulele and do some classical singing with my mum (mostly opera duets).
Location: Bern, Switzerland
Email: s.rizaporta@gmail.com
Uyanga Baatarkhuu
I have been working for YFU Mongolia since 2014 as the national director. During that time the organisation has grown a lot. I and my staff work hard with all students, parents, interns, volunteers and members. I graduated with a bachelor's degree as an Accountant at The National University of Mongolia. Since last year, I’ve been doing my Master's Degree in Business Management. I love nature, dancing, reading, travelling, meeting people, live communication, games, and trying street foods.
Location: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Email: uyanga@yfu.mn