Sanni Lehtinen / President

Hi there, I’m Sanni Lehtinen, and this year I am the President of SYL. My job involves leading the union and the influencing work and representing the organisation to the outside world. It is really inspiring to work on this year of elections with such a skilled group of people and make it resemble us students! I am already familiar with the twists and turns of politics through my studies as I’m studying international politics outside of my work on the Board. This year is my third working full-time on student advocacy as I’ve spent the past two years as Board Member and Chair of the late Tamy. I look forward to cooperating with the entire student movement!

Kim Kujala / Vice president, social policy (student health care, wellbeing)

Hello! My name is Kim Kujala, and I am SYL’s Vice President this year. I am in charge of student health, wellbeing, matters relating to the FSHS, and the elections. I am studying communication sciences at the University of Vaasa, and in my free time in addition to the organisational activities I also like running and having adventures all over the world. Achievements within student advocacy, chatty people and sunshine make me happy. On particularly dark and rainy days a bag of salmiakki does wonders. Feel free to come over for a chat or a conversation about student politics!

Heidi Rättyä / Education policy (free education, lifelong learning, working life) international affairs (international students, ESU), working life affairs

Hi! I’m Heidi Rättyä, and this year I am the SYL Board Member in charge of education policy, international affairs and working life. Within education policy I focus on the themes of lifelong learning and free education, and when it comes to international affairs I am in charge of international students and lobbying within the European Students’ Union in particular. I’m a humanities student who moved from Central Ostrobothnia to Jyväskylä, and this is my fifth year studying to be an English and Russian teacher at the University of Jyväskylä. In my free time I like to relax with a book, baking or working with language issues.

Helmi Andersson / Language affairs, equality affairs, education policy (study ability, student admission, education system),  international affairs (ESU)

Hi! My name is Helmi Andersson, and on the SYL Board I’m in charge of equality and language affairs, education policy and the European Students’ Union. In practice, my teacup shares my desk with various matters relating to promoting the ability to study, the transitions within the education system, or equality within the student movement. Apart from that I am studying economics at Åbo Akademi University, and I’m really into documentaries and podcasts on social issues. As a counterbalance to my influencing work I like to play around with watercolours, go out sledging or just hang out with my friends.

Roope Tukia / International affairs (ESU, EU),  associations

Hi! I’m Roope Tukia, and in SYL I’m in charge of EU affairs and the cooperation with associations. Finland’s upcoming EU presidency features heavily on my desk, as does developing education in Europe in cooperation with other European student associations. In my free time I’m a well-known football fanatic and a whisky lover. I am also into politics and trying to make that into a career. I’m studying international politics at the University of Tampere and specialising in superpower relations and security. My life contains an awful lot of politics. I like it.

Titta Hiltunen / Social policy (student finances, housing, environmental affairs), development cooperation

Hi! I am Titta Hiltunen, and this year I am on SYL’s board looking after student finances and housing, development policy and environmental affairs. In practice I will be working on e.g. financial aid for students, the social security reform that may be starting in the upcoming term, and SYL’s communication and global education project. I am studying political history at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Helsinki, and in my free time I particularly enjoy the company of friends and good books.

Suvi Vendelin / Education policy (educational content), communications

Hey! I am Suvi Vendelin, in charge of communications and education policy on SYL’s Board. Within the area of education policy, I work on e.g. university funding and developing the higher education system. The elections will be particularly prominent in our communications this year. I come from Aalto University, where I study architecture, and apart from my other activities I enjoy painting, and I am also studying a little bit of graphic design.