Hi, I’m Amalia Diosteanu, a 22-year-old student in the third year at International Business and Economics at the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest.
When I think of myself I see an ambitious and proactive person, who is always trying to grow both personally and professionally. I have always done my best to grasp knowledge and to learn from past experience in order to become a better person for myself and the community I live in.
When I was 11, my parents went to Italy to seek a better life for my family and I had to follow them. Having had to go through all the changes - leaving my country, my friends, my home, my habits behind - and through my experience in Italy helped me become more open to the new and more self confident. I stayed there for 9 years and all this time I tried to make the most out of my studies and of the interpersonal relationships. I graduated from a foreign languages high school that gave me the opportunity to cultivate my passion for new cultures and international exchanges. Actually, I was part of two such exchanges, one in France and the other in Sweden. These experiences made me become aware of the cultural differences between the peoples and the particularities of each of them.
Finishing high school, I realized I wanted to come back to Romania and do my Bachelor studies there. The International Business and Economics faculty seemed the right choice as it offered me the chance to look more deeply into the issues of international economy and to better understand how the world around me works. Admission to this faculty proved to be a hard task as I had to pass exams at subjects that were unfamiliar for me because I had been studying in Italy. However, I am used to having to work hard for I want. Things have never been easy, but determination and dedication are the ‘fuels’ in the ryde to success.
During faculty, I doubled my studies with extracurricular activities. So far I have taken an internship at Volksbank Bank, getting to know the basics of banking and another one at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where I help with the international marketing and with organizing external events. In the second year of my studies, I decided I wanted to be more involved in activities with people of my age, so I joined a student NGO, Volunteers for ideas and projects, which I had heard was one of the most elitist and active organizations of its kind. The first year was a full of enriching experiences and numerous occasions for me to use and develop my social and organizational skills. I took part in organizing various conferences, planned different events for fellow students and made the acquaintance of inspiring people. Stepping out of my comfort zone was not piece of cake for me, as I used to be quite shy and felt uneasy talking in front of people I didn’t know, but my courage and desire to improve have paid off. I am now the vice president of the Business Club of the association and this has given me more self assurance and more clarity as towards what my objectives should be in the future. Looking back on my membership in this NGO I am thankful I have had the chance to be part of this adventure which, for me, has meant the road to becoming a more mature and responsible person.
As far as my academic studies are concerned, I don’t want my journey to stop here. I am determined to continue it with a master program abroad. After considerable research and hard thinking, I have come to choose France, for its various educational offers and for the fact that I love French. L’Institut des Hautes Etudes Européennes in Strasbourg sits on top of my list. I dream of a diplomatic carrier for me and I am sure that this master will be of great help in achieving my professional objectives.
I would very much like to participate at this conference in Strasbourg that you are organizing, because I want to know more about creating the path to a fulfilled carrier and to interact with people of my age, driven by the same dreams and motivations. It would also be a good opportunity for me to practice my French and to explore the sights of Strasbourg, hopefully, my future host city in the years to come.
Best wishes,
Amalia
For me it is reinforcing the idea that schooling is never enough and at least in the advanced democratic part of the world it is no longer an opportunity, rather a minimal condition to succeed in your professional life. It takes being involved civically and in extra activities to really fuel success.