Exactly a year ago, I started my job as Secretary General of the Student Union Kaakko. The year has passed by fast and it has been full of events!

Last fall, when I came to the Kouvola campus the fall semester had already started and it was full of buzz. It was more than ten years from my bachelor’s studies at Lahti University of Applied Sciences, but somehow it felt easy to join Kaakko’s group. The feeling has only grown stronger during the past year.

The Student Union Kaakko has a top team with which we bring students’ voice heard in Xamk, campus towns and nationwide. Our four employees work with the board of Kaakko and the representative council to make studying as smooth and meaningful as possible for all students.

The first year of a new job is always a learning process. The autumn went while getting to know the new tasks and then the corona situation made the spring and the summer exceptional. We handled the difficult situation well and working and studying remotely actually made our team even closer. Now we are back to serving students on campuses. I hope that we will be able to meet both new and continuing students during this autumn.

A year in Kaakko has taught me a lot, and I have gotten to know a number of new people. During the year, I have also said goodbye to one employee, to the old board and to the representative council. Luckily, in the spring, we recruited a top member service specialist and this year’s board has worked really well.

It is typical that in the Student Union field everything changes rapidly. At this point of year, we are already planning the next representative election because the representatives are selected only for a year at a time. I keep thinking how the time with an individual student-active is short and still, there can be so much done in just a year.

Have a great autumn everyone!