New speaker of the AEGEE-Academy: Maartje Natrop

While Agora Rhein-Neckar took place, the new board of the Academy was elected trough online voting by the Academy members. Costas Deltouzos from AEGEE-Patras is the new secretary / IT-responsible, Patrick Scholz from AEGEE-Aachen is the new treasurer and Maartje Natrop from AEGEE-Utrecht,  whom I spoke to over a nice cake dinner, is the new speaker.

Firstly, can you tell us a bit more about yourself?

I’m Maartje and at the moment I am doing my masters in communication science, which I hope to finish end of 2013. But what I love to do much more is put my hours into AEGEE-work. For example, I’m main organizer of the Self-development European School in Utrecht this May. Next to my part-time sales job, my studies and AEGEE, I love working out at the gym pretty much every day!

Why did you candidate for speaker of AEGEE-Acadamy?

I have been training in AEGEE  for a year now, and I felt like I wanted to take the next step and get active in a board position on European level. Since training is my passion I though the Academy was the best place to do this.

Why did you candidate after the deadline?

To be honest, first  I wasn’t planning to candidate at all, because I didn’t think I had the time this job deserves. But at the Network Meeting in Leiden two weeks ago I spoke to Kathrin from the CD. We had a really inspiring talk, in which she convinced me that the Academy is one greatest resources AEGEE has, and I agree. This made me realize that I do actually really want to do this. After that I thought long and hard, and decided not to continue my work in several local commissions next year, making room for fresh blood and which gives me much more time to devote myself to the Academy. So I was really happy the deadline happened to be reopened.

Why do you think AEGEE-Academy is one of the best bodies of AEGEE?

Because in the Academy we help organize training events, like Training for Trainers (T4T) where we train those within AEGEE who want to be trainers, or European Schools (ES) where we train many AEGEE members and prepare them for board positions or other important functions. Trainers,  in their turn, deliver so much knowledge, skills and inspiration to all other people in AEGEE during trainings in these events. We basically facilitate Human Resources Manaement in AEGEE so I would even go as far as to say the Academy is in some way the backbone of AEGEE Europe.

“The Academy is the backbone of AEGEE” 

What makes you so passionate about the Academy?

I’ve always been passionate about teaching others, and I realized this even more during the ES1 I attended in 2011. The T4T I went to inspired me even more. Training makes me so happy, because you give so much, but you get so much in return. To help others become their best selves; being able to do that is one of the best things there is in life. Taking things to the next level for me is also being able to ensure that the Academy is working at its best so the other people can do this as well!

What are you hoping to achieve in your time in the Academy?

Well, a lot, which is why I can already state that I will be re- candidating in half a year. An Academy board member stays in his or her position only for half a year , but I have so many plans, that I definitely want to stay longer. With Patrick and Costas and hopefully some assistants (we already have some interested), we have an amazing team and we already did some brainstorming. We think the Academy has so much potential, but it has to be revived. Many members do not know what we do. At the end of my term I want everybody in AEGEE to know what the Academy is, what we do and how we do it!

Do you have some concrete plans?

We have a few important goals we want to concentrate on in our time as board. Firstly, to get people more aware of what the Academy actually does. For this, I want to make a communication / promotion plan that informs the network about our activities. Also, I want to improve the online training database with trainers profiles and create a new one with training materials. Furthermore: communication with trainers, I want them to know we, as a board, are there for them. I would love to introduce regular online chat-sessions. We also want to work together with the CD and some other people on impact management. Then improving the website is also one of our goals. Lastly, I really want to invest in both quality and quantity, to get as much qualified trainers as possible, and really invest in their education. Make sure we have optimal human resources.
And of course, I will still give trainings myself, because that is what I love to do.

“Strategic planning, action, structure, coordination, promotion and communication are keywords for our term!” 

You made the decision two weeks ago, but you have so many plans, so I take it that you must have thought about it before. 

Somewhere deep down I knew that I wanted to do this position all along, I only didn’t do it because I didn’t think I had the time. So the ideas have been in my mind for a long time. Plus, the brainstorming with our team and during the general members meeting brought up a lot too! I am so happy to have the guys on board, we are all equally important in realizing the many plans we have.

How are you planning to celebrate your election?

Actually I already did, with the cake we are having now and with a celebration ouzo-shot from AEGEE-Patra, even though I actually don’t even drink, but for this occasion, I gladly made an exception!

Written by Roos Tamis, AEGEE-Utrecht