Get to know (me)mbers
This edition we sit in FoyEOS with Shareena! Originally from Zoetermeer but now living close to VU at Uilenstede. She is 19 years old and currently in her second year of political science, which fits her interests really well:
“I am very interested in politics but I really like history too. I’m also thinking about doing a second bachelor’s degree in that field. History interests me because I find it very fascinating how patterns from the past can all be seen now. That relates very well with political science because there are a lot of patterns there too.”
When we asked Shareena about her hobbies, laughingly she argued that real hobbies are more for 30-year-olds who know what they like to do, in addition to all the serious things in life. “Of course, I have things I like to do like reading, going out, hanging out with friends, and partying. But I don’t have any ‘real’ hobbies.”
“What I like about EOS is the fact that no matter how new you are, you get really involved very quickly. It’s not weird if you haven’t been active before and you join a committee now, people make sure that you are really included. I really like that.”
Of course, we asked about Shareena’s favourite EOS memory. Which is quite a different one than most of our members have: “My favourite memory was at the Hawaii party in June, then all of a sudden the lights were on and the music turned down and Kas asked me to jump on his back. Then I said: ‘no, you jump on my back’. But the floor was super slippery so I fell on the floor in front of the bar. With the music being turned down and the lights on, everyone could hear and see it happening. That was super funny!”
Looking to the future, we asked Shareena what she is looking forward to with EOS. “I’m most looking forward to getting to know new people. There are obviously a lot of new members now that the new academic year has started. We hopefully, as mentors, did a good job of encouraging the new students to become members during the introduction week. I was a mentor during intro week and I really enjoyed that too.”
At the end of the interview, Shareena has something big to share with us: “I am now a finalist for Youth Representative European Affairs. That means that with this role you represent all young people in the Netherlands at the European level. And that goes through the NJR (Dutch National Youth Council). That is a platform where many youth organisations are connected and as a youth representative you represent the interests of young people and thus also the youth organisations. This is what I am campaigning for now. It is very exciting, I have never campaigned before. But I have already learned a lot of things that I can take with me. It is a role that fits very well with my studies and with myself because I always wanted to do something with what I have learned for others. So really giving something back to society and the form of representation I actually like best.”
Impressed by her drive and motivation, we asked how Shareena found this opportunity: “I actually saw this by accident, I was on Instagram and saw an advertisement and thought ‘this looks really cool’, let me check if this is something for me. Then I found out that it is super international and that every country has its own representative. From October 6 to October 13, anyone under 29 can vote for me through https://stem.njr.nl/people/shareena-obispo.html.”
Thank you Shareena for your time! We wish you the best of luck with your campaign!
Want to be the next featured member, because you have an inspirational story or just because you’re simply awesome?
Send an email to: publicrelations@eosvu.nl and we will get back to you!
Featured member: Shareena Obispo
Interview done and written by: Margot Volten & Elke Hoetjes