Nicolás (18) participated in the “My Europe” workshop in Madrid in 2013 and after winning the writing contest in his country became member of the Youth Council for the Future. He´s a student at the Instituto de Educación Secundaria Ramiro de Maeztu in Madrid, Spain.

He´s interested in politics and music. In his free time he likes to read and to travel. Meeting new people also belong to Nicolás interests. His dream job is to be a Spanish diplomat or working as civil servant for one of the EU institutions.

My Europe is…

…flexible, modern, open to the rest of the worl, democratic, tolerant, multicultural and free.

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

I would solve the problem of the democratic deficit of the EU, enabling citizens to directly choose the President of the Comission, and reinforcing the power of the European Parliament.

Smaranda (16) took part in the “My Europe” workshop in Austria in May 2013. She is a student at “Theresianum” high school in Vienna.

In her free time Smaranda likes to read and work with human rights organizations. Photography and travelling also belong to her favourite hobbies.

Her dream job is to be an engineer in third world countries.

For Smaranda Europe is …

“an initiative that has been needed for years in the European Union and has finally become reality.”

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

“I would invent trains at an even higher speed, than those that already exist, so that people in the EU are even closer and we can be even more of a Union.”

 

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.