Hi everyone!
Since my function is next in line, it’s my turn to rejoice you with a brand new blogpost! I’ve been super excited to write this, so here it is, enjoy!
To be honest, making the decision to want to do Board wasn’t a very hard one. Since the moment I’ve joined the association, I’ve discovered my passion for bringing ideas to life and working together in a team.
In my first year, it definitely sparked my interest to become Board, but I decided to wait a year, since I felt that I had a lot to learn before taking that step. Last year, the time just felt right. I’d almost completed a year of chairmanship for Barcie and felt confident enough to take on a new challenge!
And here we are! Almost halfway through the Board year and the clichė is sadly true, time really flies by when having fun.
Getting used to Board life and to the role of Communication and Media was amazing, but (not going to lie) overwhelming at times. I was surprised at how much is coming at you. At the same time, it felt like a win, since I found out for myself that I could control my stress levels and manage difficult things!
Being Commissioner Communication and Media has been very fun! I love being on Canva, editing videos and overall being creative. Checking out promotion plans and seeing all of the creativity in my Promotion Coordinators brings me lots of joy and energy. Designing merchandise and seeing the final product has been so satisfactory and is by far my favorite part of my function, stay tuned for updates on that ;)
As CCM (and for Board members in general), your calendar and to do list are your best friends, since there’s a lot of events happening and therefore a lot of promotion planned at the same time. I started the year off quite insecure about my planning skills, since I tend to be quite chaotic and lose my bike key a minimum of three times a week. The bike thing hasn’t become better, but my planning skills definitely have. I’ve figured out a method that works for me, which makes my life a lot easier!
Apart from doing CCM stuff, I’m helping three committees this year. For both Chronicles and Lucie, I’m contact person and I’m the promotion coordinator for Cookcie! Being contact person is very fulfilling, I just love sitting back and seeing other people do all of the work ;) (jk). It’s amazing to see how creative and excited members get when making their ideas come to life. Helping Cookcie out has also been really fun. One of my new year’s resolutions is to get more proficient in the kitchen, joining Cookcie therefore seemed perfect!
Board life has been treating me so well. I love staying busy and challenging myself every day, putting myself out of my comfort zone and developing my skills. Attending CoBo’s, making the most random but greatest memories and getting to know a bunch of amazing people, it’s a blast! Every day comes with new challenges and a chance to develop yourself, I can honestly say this year has been one of the greatest learning experiences so far.
One of my doubts starting Board, was the impact it would have on my life. I love and need my alone time every once in a while, and was a bit worried I would overwork myself or would not be able to handle the stress. I can now reassure my August-self and say I can handle more than I previously thought. Yes, September and October definitely are busy, but at the same time might be the times that are most eventful and I look back on with a big smile on my face. I’m happy I still have a social life outside of the association and am able to keep up with my studies and work, keeping balance is key!
It’s been great working with honestly the best people I could imagine doing Board with and I am eternally grateful I had the chance to take on this challenge.
If you’re curious about what it’s like being CM, Board, or if you’d just like to have a chat, you can (most likely) find me in the VSPVU Room (or just shoot me a text)!
Lots of love,
Stephanie Hennekens
Commissioner Communication and Media of the 79th Board