Léa Charlet: Meet the AEGEE Fair manager of EBM Valletta

Léa Charlet, President of AEGEE-Paris, will organise the AEGEE Fair at EBM Valletta next month. These fairs enjoyed huge popularity at the past Agoras and EBMs, so you definitely should attend them, if you go the EBM or an Agora this year. The AEGEE Golden Times asked Léa about her plans as AEGEE Fair manager and about herself. Léa: “I would really like to be more active at the European level.”

Golden Times: Congratulations for becoming AEGEE Fair manager! What are your tasks? Is it the same as an AEGEE Fair at an Agora?
Léa Charlet: Thanks! It’s more or less the same, but for less people. I have to be in contact with the projects and the bodies of AEGEE that want to be integrated in the fair. The main task is to organise the room and fulfil the demands of the people that got a stand. We will also do a booklet like at the previous fair.

Golden Times: Is it also comprising a Study Fair or is it only AEGEE-related?
Léa: It may host 1 or 2 externals, but it is mainly AEGEE-related.

Golden Times: What do you want to change or improve compared to previous AEGEE fairs?
Léa: Not really a lot, but maybe we will do a drawing competition on a huge paper on a wall about a theme important to AEGEE. However, as we do not know yet the floor plan of the room I can’t tell if it will be possible.

Golden Times: Let’s talk about you. Where are you from, how old are you? What other hobbies and interests do you have aside from AEGEE?
Léa: I’m 23 years old and I’m from Versailles. I have been playing the trumpet for 15 years now so I could say music. I’m part of a classical orchestra, but also of a jazz band. I also love to read, but for the past two years I haven’t taken enough time to do it. I also like to stay well aware of the news.

Golden Times: You study Law. What’s your dream job?
Léa: I don’t really have a fixed idea, my field is European comparative public law but I would like to work in the EU field, in a law-making commission maybe.

Golden Times: As a child, what did you dream to be your future job after growing up?
Léa: I wanted to become a physiotherapist. Not really the same!

Golden Times: You also went to Bologna as Erasmus student. How was it like?
Léa: Yes, I did my Erasmus in Bologna two years ago. My degree is allowing me to make some research in another country for three months. I loved the city and the faculty is great. This city is amazing for students: beautiful, lively and full of possibilities. And I hope 2013 will see the rebirth of AEGEE-Bologna! A great group is doing a lot of stuff to make it possible again!

Golden Times: How and when did you join AEGEE? Is there an interesting story about it?
Léa: You can say that. I heard about AEGEE in Italy during my Erasmus by three Spanish guys of Santander, and in July Fernando Campo Gomes told me about this huge event where they will all go in September, the Renove in Madrid. I joined AEGEE on the 9th of September, on the 25th I was in a plane heading for Madrid. I arrived at an event of 160 people, of which approximately 155 were Spanish! The funny thing was that I couldn’t speak a word of Spanish… But the AEGEE spirit was awesome and when I came back I was really motivated to do a lot of stuff in AEGEE-Paris.

Golden Times: You are President of AEGEE-Paris, the first antenna ever. How is it like to be in president of the origin of AEGEE?
Léa: I don’t believe that AEGEE-Paris has a big impact on the European level of AEGEE, and the historical fact definitely doesn’t change anything at the Parisian level. We are a small antenna, getting bigger but we have difficulties to make AEGEE visible in Paris.

Golden Times: As many antennae in big capitals… Some else: You were Agora photographer for the AEGEEan in Enschede. How was that like?
Léa: I love photography, but my technique is far from being perfect. I like taking pictures of people I know, try to capture them as beautiful people and I found it really difficult in a big event to take time to know all the people I met. But it was nice to see my pictures in the AEGEEan magazine and on the AEGEE-Europe website.

Golden Times: What are your future plans in AEGEE? Will we see more of you on the European level of AEGEE?
Léa: Until September I want to stay available for AEGEE-Paris. Afterwards, we’ll see. We never know what can happen, but as for now I would really like to be more active at the European level.

Golden Times: What was the best event you’ve visited so far in AEGEE?
Léa: I would say the Network Meeting in Porto. I met a lot of great people, the workshops were awesome, as were the logistic and the parties.

Golden Times: Where would you like to go with AEGEE in 2013?
Léa: For the moment, there are only Brussels, Malta and Zaragoza on my list. The fact that I have to present my master thesis on September makes me doubt about the possibility of attending a Summer University this year, but as always you never know.

Golden Times: Now please complete this sentence: “AEGEE is for me…”
Léa: AEGEE is for me a great way to discover and to learn about Europe, to develop myself and to meet great people.

Golden Times: How would you describe yourself in five keywords?
Léa: Dynamic, responsible, a little bit bossy, entrepreneur and sociable.