In August, the European University Sports Association (EUSA) and its Institute bid farewell to the international volunteers Aada, Dorina and Milena.

For this month’s student column, we have asked them for their feedback and reflection on their experience.

The three joined the EUSA office in September last year and wrapped up their ESC journey this August in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.

Aada Tiermas

My time in Slovenia and EUSA has been truly an amazing experience. I wanted to volunteer at EUSA to get more experience in the international sports field, and to be able to learn, grow professionally, and create networks. I was also very interested in living abroad and working in an international environment. I can now say that the year did not disappoint, and I have grown a lot, both professionally and personally.

Being involved in the EUSA office's daily work, I got to do many different things related to university sports and learnt a lot about sport management, as well as understood better how sports and university sports are organised in Europe. Throughout the year, I have had the opportunity to volunteer in many different sports events, and I participated in the SELL-Games in Latvia as a representative but also as an athlete by competing in swimming. The year then culminated this summer in Salerno, Italy, where we organised the European Universities Games 2026.

EUG 2026 was definitely one of the most memorable experiences. I had no previous experience in such a large-scale sporting event, so I went there with open eyes and ready to learn new things. And it did not disappoint. Although there were challenges along the way and it was a very hectic environment, I really enjoyed the experience and felt well supported by the EUSA team there. Day by day there I started to understand better how everything works and got a better understanding of the organisation of a sporting event of this size. In between the stress and chaos, we still found the time to relax a bit and spend time together.

Otherwise, I continued doing sports and participated in more running competitions or events than I ever had before. I connected with nature by hiking a lot and explored Slovenian nature, which is incredible. I learned many new skills as well as picked up some new hobbies and continued with old ones. I have also had the opportunity to explore many new countries and places. Throughout the year, I met many inspiring people around Europe and the world, making new friendships.

It has been an amazing year, and I feel like I am better equipped for the future, whatever that will bring.

Dorina Nagy

This year flew by…I arrived in Ljubljana 12 months ago, but it feels like it was yesterday. In the meantime, so many things happened that it is worth a lifetime of memories and experience. I discovered an amazingly beautiful country with the most active residents I have ever seen. I walked and hiked more than ever and tried out some new sports as well, such as canoeing and padel. I discovered many lovely towns like Kranj and Škofja Loka and have seen more waterfalls than all together in my life.

The On Arrival Training and the Mid Term Evaluation organised by Movit  (the Slovenian agency in EU programmes) helped me find people in the same situation and connect with them while also reflecting on my journey and my prospects for the future. They were very well-organised, with diverse programmes and great facilitators.

Besides my original project, I volunteered in many other sports events. My favourite was the Ultra Trail Vipava Valley, when I helped with the registration of the runners and also prepared food for the finishers in the middle of the night so people could eat and drink something after running 110 or 160 km. It was a truly eye-opening experience about what the human body is able to do and how important it is to give these people any kind of support in their journey.

During the year, I learned a lot about day-to-day office work and all the preparation behind many aspects of EUSA. Then, EUG 2026 in Salerno was a more challenging period, where, professionally, I learned a lot about hospitality and protocol operations and improved my problem-solving skills and my flexibility to handle last-minute unexpected challenges while maintaining. I realised how important a supporting team is and what a difference it can make if we are able to laugh about any situation. With a good team, anything is possible, and the possibilities are endless.

Milena Alessandria

It is difficult to believe that one year has already passed since I arrived in Slovenia for my ESC project. It feels at the same time both much shorter and much longer than a year, so full of experiences, challenges and emotions in a place I hardly knew before and which feels so familiar now.

I am incredibly grateful to have had the chance to spend one year at EUSA, a year of learning and growth, both personally and professionally. In the past months, I stepped out of my comfort zone, tried things I had always been interested in, experienced others I might never have experienced otherwise, and discovered new sides of myself. I had the opportunity to volunteer at many sports events, see competitions from behind the scenes and even take part in running events, something I probably would not have done on my own!

Slovenia inspired me to rediscover my passion for hiking, giving me countless unforgettable landscapes. The hiking mid-term evaluation became one of my favourite experiences of the year, allowing me to rediscover the power of walking in nature to clear my mind. It reminded me of the importance of actively making space for myself, something I will take with me beyond this project.

Another highlight was for sure the European Universities Games, the biggest and most demanding challenge of my ESC, but also an outstanding learning opportunity. It pushed me to adapt, take responsibility and trust myself in a fast-paced environment.

But one year is a long time, and no experience can be made up only of highlights. Moments of frustration and doubt were part of the journey as well, and there were days when everything felt far from easy. Personal growth does not only happen when everything goes well, but also when we find a way through difficult moments. Looking back, I realise that these moments made the good ones even more meaningful for me.

I am leaving with many memories, new skills, and a better understanding of myself. Most of all, I am leaving with the certainty that, if I could go back to the beginning, I would choose this experience again.

EUSA expresses its gratitude to Aada, Dorina and Milena for their invaluable contributions throughout the past year and wishes them every success in their future endeavours! We would also like to thank their supporting organisations: Allianssi Youth Exchanges, Hungarian Volunteer Sending Foundation and Lunaria. European Solidarity Corps Programme is co-funded by the European Union.

Are you a student with an opinion? We are looking for new contributors for our student column every month. Feel free to contact stc@eusa.eu to offer a piece or propose a topic.