Soon the Agora Salerno stage will be full of candidates who want your vote! For sure you have read all about their programmes in the official booklet, so now you want to find out more about them, their hobbies, whether they can cook and which AEGEE member they would take with them on a deserted island. In short: classic first date questions from the Internet! The GT will take you on a date with the candidates. In this edition: Monika Mojak, running for Chair. Get ready, your date is starting now!

Golden Times: Are you afraid of your candidature speech on the Agora stage? And how will you prepare for it?
Monika Mojak: I wouldn’t say I am afraid of my speech as over the last years I got used to the stage, but of course presenting the candidature is a very special moment and a lot depends on which impression you will create. Therefore I am very excited and of course a bit nervous hoping that everything will go well. I also wish that for all other candidates it will be a wonderful experience that they will enjoy a lot. I wish everyone good luck for these elections!

GT: Where would you be now if you hadn’t joined AEGEE?
Monika: That’s a big mystery for me. I have been thinking about it many times, but it’s really hard to say where the life without AEGEE would lead me.

GT: How did you join AEGEE exactly? How did you find out about it?
Monika: I had friends that have been already active and very excited about being part of this organization. Actually, I was very resistant to join AEGEE for a long time. It took them more than two years to encourage me to go to the first meeting, but when I got the bug I totally fell in love with people and the atmosphere. From the perspective of time I can say that joining AEGEE was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.

GT: How long did it take you from the first moment you heard about it until you signed the membership form and joined AEGEE?
Monika: I guess it has been around 2.5 years since I heard about AEGEE for the first time.

GT: What’s the typical drink and food you bring to European Nights?
Monika: There is no European Night without polish Soplica! Besides I always have some polish sweets with me, especially Krówki and Ptasie Mleczko.

Young Monika

GT: At an AEGEE party where will we find you? On the dancefloor? Talking at the bar?
Monika: Definitely on the dancefloor, but I enjoy good conversations at the bar as well.

GT: What was your first position in the local board?
Monika: Vice-President, responsible for Public Relations.

GT: What was your favourite event as organiser – and why is it your favourite?
Monika: EBM Lublin 2014, which was my first AEGEE event, so you can imagine how everything was exciting and new for me. During those four days I had the best possibility to explore AEGEE more, feel the special atmosphere, meet people that became my friends for years and find out that this is the place made for me.

GT: What was your first Agora and how did you feel there? Happy, excited, overwhelmed, lost?
Monika: It was Spring Agora Patra 2014. After the EBM I was impatiently counting the days to go my first Agora.  I was extremely happy and enthusiastic about this new experience and I remember that Agora as an amazing event, filled with interesting discussions, sleepless nights, crazy parties, new friends and a happy time with no big obligations yet.

GT: Have you ever hichhiked to an AEGEE event? If yes, what’s your favourite hitchhiking story?
Monika: Not yet, but it’s still on my bucket list.

GT: There is a classic typology of AEGEE members, dividing them according to the three aspects fun member, career member and idealist – to which percentage are you which of these aspects?
Monika: I would say I’m 40% idealist, 30% career and 30% fun member.

GT: What do your parents think about the idea that you are so active in AEGEE?
Monika: They have always been very happy that I am active in AEGEE and I found something outside University that I am passionate about and which can help me develop in a personal and professional way. They were trying to encourage my two younger sisters to join as well – unfortunately, they were not successful. However, at the moment my mom wishes I would finally stop living out of a suitcase, which won’t happen any time soon, so she has no other option than just to accept my current lifestyle.

GT: What other hobbies do you have aside from AEGEE?
Monika: Honestly speaking, these days I don’t have a lot of time for other hobbies than AEGEE as when you are in the CD you decide to dedicate almost all your time to this organization. However, I always find a moment to cook or bake something for my lovely team or just spend nice evenings with them watching or chatting in the attic – which is our living room at the moment. In my regular life I take dance classes, I love playing the piano, experimenting in the kitchen, reading books, going to the theater, museum or a gallery to check new exhibitions – I am definitely an artistic soul. I spend a lot of time actively, I also like horse riding and winter sports a lot.

GT: What was the last book you really got into?
Monika: “Be the miracle” by Regina Brett. It’s a collection of 50 lessons how to live better life and find happiness it small things.

GT: What TV series do you keep coming back to and re-watching?
Monika: “Friends”.

GT: What’s your favourite app on your phone?
Monika: Spotify.

GT: What nickname do or did you have – and why?
Monika: It’s “Momo”. Coming from the first two letters of my name and surname.

GT: Do you like cooking and if yes – what’s your favourite dish you like to cook?
Monika: I love it, but I don’t have any favourite dish. I always say that I do my cheerful creativity in the kitchen.

GT: What’s never missing in your fridge?
Monika: Vegatables. I love them.

GT: Did you consider joining a political party or maybe want to do it later?
Monika: Yes, I am considering to join a political party in the future.

GT: What do you study – and why?
Monika: Law, because my parents wanted one of their children to follow the family tradition and it fell on me, and International Relations because I found it very interesting – thanks to AEGEE.

GT: What’s your dream job?
Monika: It’s not fixed in my head yet, but I would like to do something that will give me happiness and satisfaction but at the same time will be useful and meaningful for the society.

GT: What’s the favourite city or place on this planet you ever visited?
Monika: Italian Capri and Georgia.

GT: And where would you really like to go?
Monika: Asia and New Zealand are on my bucket list.

GT: If you could take one AEGEE member to a desert island, who would it be? And why?
Monika: It would be my dear friend Evrim Emiroğlu. As we survived the whole year living in the same room during our CD term and we enjoyed being roommates a lot, I have no doubts that we would have a great time together on a desert island.

GT: This Agora is about walls – what was the most difficult wall you had to overcome?
Monika: There are small and big walls that we have to overcome every day in our life, so it’s really hard to say what was the most difficult one.

GT: What’s your biggest frustration in AEGEE?
Monika: No appreciation culture. People love to point out mistakes of others, but sadly they do not recognize their hard work and dedication for AEGEE.

GT: Please complete the sentence: “AEGEE is for me…”
Monika: My second home.

GT: How would you describe yourself in a few keywords?
Monika: Dreamer, perfectionist, warm-hearted.