AIESEC: My story of finding a second home at WU

I remember it as clear as day when I set foot on the WU campus, I was mesmerized but at the same time terrified of its grand presence. I didn’t know that a meeting in TC would soon change my life to the point that I would spend more time on campus than at home due to one organization: AIESEC. But let’s start from the beginning…

I joined WU in 2022 for a bachelor’s in business and economics, and while the Welcome Days provided me with a lot of initial connections, I was still looking for my place in this university. Out of the blue I was approached by a girl in TC, she started talking about this student organization and how it could benefit me, but being a young 1st-semester student I was way too tired to listen. But she did not give up, through some mutual friends we ended up crossing paths again and again, until one night right before the recruitment deadline she convinced me to sign up.

I didn’t know that this would come to be the best decision I made that semester, and a bit more than a year later me and her would still be good friends. I got in. In some ways, I was the typical scared freshman when I joined, and slowly but surely all these people, driven by nothing else but passion and belief in the organization, started becoming my friends. And so their spirit started fueling the part of me that desired to be a part of something bigger and more important.

Community building at WU Vienna

We would get together on Wednesdays after our bi-weekly Local Committee meetings and soon I found myself looking forward to the middle of the week instead of dreading the homework and lectures that come with it. But it wasn’t just the community that was fueling my soul. I was allocated to the Marketing and Outgoing Exchanges department which led me to work on events and join infostands: something that as a Vice President I still join when I get the chance just because I miss it. While sometimes it was difficult being ignored and rejected by students, I found it refreshing to escape away from the screens and papers of studies and into such social tasks.

I did not plan to stay when I started, but in the end I couldn’t refuse the offer to become a team leader.

And so a semester flew by. I did not plan to stay when I started, but in the end I couldn’t refuse the offer to become a team leader. The thing is: I was terrified… absolutely and hopelessly terrified. I didn’t know how people worked, nor how to motivate or support them in a work-like environment But that’s the thing about AIESEC: it lets you be terrified, make mistakes and learn how you work.

Slowly but surely, I started getting the hang of it, and while I can’t claim that by the end I was perfect at managing a team, I was better. But that’s not all: this was the experience that made me believe in myself. So I took a leap of faith. Now something you must know about AIESEC is that we have a range of departments one can contribute to. And as mentioned above Marketing and Outgoing Exchanges used to be united. But due to a lack of human and management resources marketing efforts were mostly sidelined. So in a moment of bravery that had been built up for a year at that point I said “Let me open a new department”.

I don’t think I would be the same person without AIESEC, and I’m eternally grateful to it for all its teachings.

Marketing might sound easy, but rejuvenating operations that were dormant for years was a rollercoaster. From being ignored by most partners who I messaged to being dropped before a headliner event, all while figuring out how to deal with now double-digit amounts of people in my department – it was tough. But we all made it work. AIESEC @WU was pumping out events at rates not seen for years. And all of that was cool, but at some point, I lost care for the numbers. I was overwhelmed with studies to the point where AIESECers would joke that I lived in our WU office (the best place for a quick nap on campus!). I was lost. But the thing about working with people for that long is that you tend to become really good friends. It was AIESECers that rejuvenated me when I needed it.

So far in the last semester only we have already gone on a ski trip together, celebrated our awards at national conferences, travelled through Austria and walked a fashion show. AIESEC is the place that turned me from a lost international student in Vienna to one who got to learn Austrian customs and actually started to integrate at accelerated rates. And so while I can say that there were periods when I fell out of love with the work, I always kept loving the community.

I don’t think I would be the same person without AIESEC, and I’m eternally grateful to it for all its teachings. If you’re interested in the organization and want to ask questions feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn or to our Instagram pages, especially since we’re currently recruiting.