The XXVth board of AEclipse consists of six board members and is tasked with all kinds of strategic and operational responsibilities. Today, we interview our Secretary and Vice-President Elise, who will tell us a bit about who she is, her story and her responsibilities at AEclipse!
Who are you? Tell us a bit about you!
Hi there, I’m Elise! I’m currently studying a masters in Policy Economics and I’m 22, from Belgium.
Why did you apply for the board?
My path to AEclipse was a bit unconventional as I only joined the board in October, since I only moved to Rotterdam recently. But in general, I had had some great experiences with study associations in the past and I knew how great an addition to my student life it would be. Since I had just moved, I didn’t know too many people in Rotterdam and I was hoping to make new friends through AEclipse, which I definitely did. As a new student, being part of the board is also a great opportunity to get to know the university and its ongoings, especially in these weird times. Besides, my position goes with tasks that I had never been in charge of before and I was excited to learn some new skills!
What is your position within the board? What are your responsibilities?
My position is secretary and vice-president. In general, this means that I’m in charge of the marketing of AEclipse and a variety of administrative tasks such as the membership administration and taking minutes. Usually, I would also be responsible for the marketing committee, but this didn’t happen this year. In general, 95% of my AEclipse time is spent on marketing, that is: creating content, managing the social media, posting and updating the website. You can definitely get creative with it!
What was your favourite AEclipse event so far?
I would say the workshop and beer tasting with Frontier Economics, mostly because I find that company very interesting and because of the nice mix between working on a case and doing a fun beer tasting with the company. But I also really enjoyed the Onno Ruding event since I participated offline and on campus.
What do you like the most about being a board member?
That’s a tough question, there are many good sides! If I had to choose one, I would say the people contact - you get to meet many different people which is so valuable in the current situation. As a close second, I would say the ability to be creative and focus on what you really want to develop. And for my position specifically, I really like that you get to talk to a bit of everyone in the association and outside, it’s very diversified.
What did you learn this year?
I learnt many many things about marketing. And I definitely don’t know all of it yet, but I’m glad I got to experience this because I now know how to use a variety of tools I had no idea about before this year.
What would you tell someone who is considering applying for a board position?
If you think this might be for you: go for it! There is literally no one I know who applied for a board year and ended up regretting it. It’s challenging but that’s how you learn, and it’s also an experience that is extra valuable considering how young we all are. Time-wise, I think it’s manageable next to a master, and it forces you to plan and work on your time management. And most of all, it’s a lot of fun!
If you have any questions about the position of Secretary and Vice-president, don't hesitate to reach out to vicepresident@aeclipse.nl!