My Jobshadowing Experience
Hi! I'm Glynise from the Philippines. As a student of International Relations, I've been exposed to different lapses, problems here in our country, and I've been looking for a channel to contribute to change and make it possible here in our country and I've found YSDA and now I've been participating actively for 9 months. I was privileged to participate in Jobshadowing with Pistes-Solidaires in Pau, France. I've gained a lot of experiences and had a new perspective to view things. Pistes-Solidaires is an organization of non-formal education and working with young people. It is a public interest association, reorganized as an European Non-governmental Organization (ENGO) by the European Commission because of its work in the field of youth mobility in Europe and their aim is to make Europe more accessible, more understandable and more direct through implementing activities and giving sufficient information. I've learned and undertand how beneficial and efficient the European Union is to European citizens like for example going to different countries in Europe is easy because of the Schengen agreement and because of that Europeans can know better the different cultures and have an exchange of views and for a better quality of life of an individual and having a single currency which is the euro, the official currency of the eurozone which brings them a lot of advantages and benefits. The European Union is a huge factor on the cooperation in Europe. I've participated in different projects and activities to connect and empower local communities in different levels; to sharing knowledge about a different culture the kids, finding out an association that works with teenagers by providing them different activities to hone them, different way to engage with elders through gamification and to provide a community garden to benefit the whole community. Through those different projects that I took part in with my co-jobshadower from Nepal, I've been more inspired to engage to civics paticipation, to contribute to change and to be a better citizen in the country I'm in. I also had an opportunity to stay with amazing people from different parts of Europe, from Spain, Germany, Italy and United Kingdom. One from Asia, in Nepal. It feels great to be surrounded and be a part of an intercultural environment because there were differences on doing things or the expression of language and the different perspectives. I've learned how important having identity is. I was really grateful that we have been well travelled on our stay and to witness how different regions are even though they're really close fom each other and to taste their specialties because it's what makes them interesting and unique. I've improved myself through my experience in Jobshadowing. I've developed my confidence as an introvert I'm always really shy but I would not want to miss the opportunity to spend time with them because our time is limited. Small talks really get me nervous but having deep talks makes me passionate and I'm really glad to meet people that has the same passion as I have and they were all so encouraging that I would still continue to do what I'm doing even though it is hard and I lose my motivation some times. I would want to believe as well that I've improved my French in some way because I was surrounded by people who really speaks the language and others learning the same as I. because what better way to learn a language than being surrounded by localsof that lanuage? Lastly, the "European Dream". I was curious and I've asked almost everyone of them if there's still such thing as the "European Dream" because everything for them is already on their plate; good environment to live in, easy to travel and the quality of life. It's just really inspiring that even though they're already in a better place, they don't stop to continue to improve and it gave me hope for the country I am in that it is possible for us to have a better quality of life and that I can do something no matter how small to contribute to that.
Ijiran, Glynise Kaye M.
