Lara (15) participated in the “My Europe” workshop in the Netherlands in 2014. Currently she´s a student at Barlaeus gymnasium, Amsterdam.

Photography and writing belong to Lara´s great hobbies. Also she´s interested in new cultures and places and thus really loves to travel.

 For Lara Europe is ….

“That I think, also is what Europe is about, all countries are different and have their own cultures, but in the same time they are all connected with each other.”

 

Bronagh (16) participated in the Dublin edition of the “My Europe” workshop in October 2014. She´s a transition year student in Mount Temple Comprehensive School and lives in Dublin, Ireland.

Her favourite subjects in school are English and engineering. In her free time she plays the clarinet. Also she likes to read and write.

Bronagh participated in the “My Europe” writing contest in Ireland and wrote “Paris,2030” which impressed the jury and earned her a high ranking.

 

 

Jochen Bender was born on 4^th of March 1942 in Frankfurt. He moved to London at the age of 17 for three years to take courses in international commerce and business at a private college.

During his stay in London, he became member of the German Athletics National Team, won the European Championship, became British Champion and established a world record. As a member of the National Team, he found the opportunity to travel intercontinental which, at that time, only rich people were able to afford. His dreams of travelling the world became true.

Jochen Bender worked for the Brazilian Airlines in marketing before becoming Managing Director of the German Sports Foundation, sponsoring sports with particular emphasis on the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972. During his annual vacations he worked as travel guide, touring the Himalayas and Argentina, Chile.

Following this fascinating experience, Jochen Bender became Managing Director of a hotel company, operating 46 hotels. He expanded the group by developing hotels in Brazil, Tunesia, on Mauritius and in other places.

He then joined a 260 year old British company, employing 85.000 staff, as member of the board. During the last 12 years, Jochen Bender operated his own company, advising on the development of new hotels and resorts, mainly in Spain and in Istria, Croatia.

You can find all his contributions to Spotlight Europe here.

 

 

Simona (19) participated in the “My Europe” workshop in Bucharest, Romania, in 2011. In the Youth Council for the Future, Simona is Social Media Representative. She is studying at the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Bucharest.

 

For me, Europe is…

a wonderful project that gives you the opportunity to learn so more and interact with people from different countries.

If you could, what would be the first thing you would change in Europe?

I think the answer is a bit selfish but I would like to change for the better the way Romanians are seen abroad.

 

You can find all her contributions to Spotlight Europe here.

 

 

Anathea (19) participated in the “My Europe” workshop in Bucharest, Romania, in 2011. Currently she´s taking a gap year from her studies. She´s interested in culture, history and film studies. One day she wants to become a Cultural Attaché.

For me, Europe is…

…an on-going “project”.

If you could, what would be the first thing you would change in Europe?

I don’t know, that’s not something I am thinking of every day, but I’d probably rebuild Europe, politically and economically.

On a more realistic note, I’d probably sign all countries into Schengen and the Eurozone. I’d strengthen the security and create a virtual information service. I’d make undergraduate studies free of charge. I’d introduce a financial education course in high school and I’d make it mandatory. I’d also enforce a mandatory program for those who have debts so they’ll learn how to sort out their lives in order to pay off those debts. I’d also create a program to use the elderly people in teaching job-related material ( as the Employment group suggested)… Small steps…

You can find all her contributions to Spotlight Europe here

Dr. Dieter Sattler is Head Editor of the Politics Department at Frankfurter Neue Presse (FNP). His favourite pieces are commentaries, analyses and features. He was born on 13 October 1958 in Fritzlar, Germany, but grew up in Frankfurt. He visited the Helmholtz-Gymnasium (where he was a co-founder of the student magazine “Holzwurm”) and after finishing secondary school in 1977, went on to study Politics, German and Philosophy at Goethe University in Frankfurt. While writing his PhD thesis with Prof. Albert Schmidt, he became a permanent freelance contributor to FNP’s sports and cultural sections. After finishing his PhD, he first became an editor for the local section, from 1997 onwards in the politics section. His favourite hobbies are football and tennis.

You can find his pieces written for FNP here. His contributions to Spotlight Europe are collected here