I remember when I first came across the ad for SYL seeking a Communications Trainee and what I thought: that this would be the perfect internship for me. As a communications student and an active student unionist, it is hard to think of a better place than SYL to be a trainee at. At SYL, I would get to work with communication but also have a front row seat to see the student movement in action. I applied, and I have not regretted it one bit – SYL fulfilled all my expectations and more.

Already at the beginning of my internship, I noted that no day or week is the same at SYL. My three months at SYL included visiting party headquarters, being part of a budget framework negotiation happening, recreation at an amusement park, as well as everyday life and work at Lapinrinne.

During my time at SYL, I both got to know and take part in the communication work at SYL. My tasks included for example going reviewing the results from media monitoring, making illustrations, and writing texts for social media. One of my heavier responsibilities was ordering the SYL brochures for new students at the universities.

My internship at SYL gave me an insight into the everyday life of one of the largest student advocacy organisations in Finland. I learned a lot and developed as a communicator. But most of all, I got to be a part of an awesome team and a great community. I am sad to leave Lapinrinne, but happy and grateful for this experience.

Linda-Liisa Kelokari

Communications Trainee, spring 2018