Graduate | CROATIA

Student | GERMANY

Young Expert | BULGARIA

Graduate | BULGARIA

My name is Iva Dimitrova and I live in Sofia, Bulgaria. My academic background is in the field of economics. My interest in the environment and climate change has been raised in the last few years. I have been a volunteer for many environmental organizations in Bulgaria and last year I had the chance to join Za Zemiata – Friends of the Earth Bulgaria as a team member. There, I am bringing in my expertise in economics and work on strengthening campaigns by adding numbers and graphs showing that operating sustainably has not only environmental but also social and financial benefits.

Pupil | BULGARIA

I’m a last-year student at the Vocational School of Engineering and Electrical Engineering. I am studying Computer technology and technology with advanced study of English. Next year, if everything goes according to plan, I’ll start my college years as a Geography teacher. For several years, I want to be that, model figure, to try to teach the new generations things, but in a different way. For the last 5 or 6 years, climate change, the dying Earth, Plants, and everything connected somehow to Ecology were some of the topics I talked about most.
Nature is my second home. I love walking in the quiet, virgin nature. My friends know that I have weekly walks in the forest near the city, so I just shut my mind off and make time for Myself. Another thing that I am obsessed with, is books. I don’t find anything cosier than a book, a cup of coffee, and some free time. And if it’s raining at this time… don’t even try to disturb me!
With my school, I have been in a few places where I gained some experience about a thing or two. I am the Deputy Speaker in our School Parliament and in the last few years we’ve been at police stations, the court, the fire department, regional administration, and the army, we have certificates from The European Parliament, and I am being part of Big Brother, Big Sister’s projects. And yes, I can’t say that I know how to stop fire or rule part of the regional administration, but I know what they do, from their point of view, which is different from the “normal” citizen.

Student | LITHUANIA

I am Milda from Lithuania. I acquired a college degree in Fashion Marketing and Communication in Barcelona, Spain. After coming back to Lithuania, I decided to gain a better insight into creative processes. Therefore, I am currently in the final year of my Bachelor’s in Creative Industries at Vilnius Tech. During my Undergraduate studies, I did an international exchange program in Graphic Design and Journalism in Antwerp, Belgium.
I am mostly involved in various art projects either as a dancer or as a coordinator. My expertise includes dance, communication, management, and graphic design fields.

Website: https://62947bcf0d764.site123.me/

Junior Biotechnologist | LITHUANIA

Student | GERMANY

Student | LITHUANIA

My name is Erikas, 4th year BA Fashion design student at Vilnius art academy, and also a volunteer at an NGO Generation Climate Europe.
In the past few years, I’ve led educational workshops on textiles and consumption and worked on artistic projects related to that. Being an artistic collaborator creating artworks from worn jeans at Denim Diaries has probably been the most interesting activity so far. Studying fashion design has pushed me to question consumption, and textile problems and think of a more sustainable, circular world. One of the main points of my work is to combine my academic knowledge of environmental issues with artistic skills in fashion, painting and performance, and apply all of that for social and environmental change.

Graduate | LITHUANIA

Hey! My name is Ieva Motiejunaite.  I am from Lithuania. I got my bachelor’s degree in Lithuania with a program in Applied Chemistry. Later on, I had an opportunity to take an internship at the Marine & Environmental research lab in Cyprus, as well as, in Spain and Portugal. Therefore, I am currently working in the sustainability field and my day-to-day is keeping up with new strategies for businesses to become more sustainable.
Besides my current job, I am interested in outdoor sports such as hiking or bouldering.

Consultant | POLAND

Activist | ITALY

I’m Denise, a 20 years old girl from Italy. I’m just back from a year in Sweden, where I was an au pair, and I will start university soon.
I’m also a climate justice activist, mostly with Fridays for Future; this for me has a double meaning. First the necessity of being surrounded by a community that cares a lot about the environment and hears the climate clock ticking. Second, and more importantly, the need to contrast my privilege of being born in the global north and living a life way distant from people who live in the most affected areas by the climate crisis.
My aim is to make people aware of climate change, and how serious it is and care about it. I’m sure this project will help me a lot and give me good tools.
Change comes from the people and we all need to be on the same page.

PhD Student | CROATIA

I am Sara Šariri, a PhD student in biology working as a research assistant at the Ruđer Bošković Institute(Zagreb, Croatia) in the Laboratory for Biological Effects of Metals. My research is concerned with finding new indicators for early detection of exposure and effects of pollution of water bodies by metals and more recently by microplastics. I graduated with an MSc in Environmental Science in 2021. During my studies, I participated in the Sustainable Development Section of the Association of Biology Students, volunteered in Croatian nature parks, and completed three internships, including a lab job in Lisbon at the Centre for Marine and Environmental Sciences. With my work, I want to contribute to finding solutions to global environmental problems and protecting aquatic ecosystems.

Website: https://www.irb.hr/eng/Divisions/Division-for-Marine-and-Environmental-Research/Laboratory-for-Biological-Effects-of-Metals

Pupil | BULGARIA

My name is Paula Staneva. I am 18 years old, from Bulgaria. I am in the final year of studying Architecture and Construction graduating with a third degree, medium-special Education at Vocational High School of Architecture, Construction and Geodesy – “Architect Kamen Petkov” in Plovdiv. This year I am preparing for the UACEG in Sofia for an Аrchitecture major. My main interests are energy efficiency, technology, urban planning, the architecture of Modernism and cinematography.  In my spare time, being part of “Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bulgaria’’ Association, I volunteer in Plovdiv’s social homes for children deprived of parental care. Also, I go to nature, that’s what really heals me. Often, I spend hours painting and sometimes go camping. I was raised to live as a creator, not as a consumer. I am interested in creating an urban project that integrates people into nature and contributes to harmony in scenery connected to our modern needs and lifestyle.

Graduate | BULGARIA

My name is Stilian Stefanov and I am a member of the Bulgarian team taking part in the Young Climate Professionals program.
I am a graduate of European Studies from Maastricht University, Netherlands and an exchange student from Charles University, Czech Republic. I have taken part in more than 30 international projects on a vast range of topics within the frameworks of a few EU-wide programs. I am particularly interested in history, geography, culture, politics, environmental problems and preservation.
The Young Climate Professionals project is an outstanding opportunity to discover more about the pressing problems of the environment in light of the EU’s current political commitments and ambitions. I believe that the exchange of knowledge and ideas with young people from all over Europe will have a conducive impact on both participants and their communities.

Student | BULGARIA

My name is Bilyana Valkova. I am 22 years old, from Bulgaria. I am in the final year of my Bachelor’s degree in International Relations at Sofia University. I have diverse interests in fields in close relation to my degree such as History and Politics, and in more ecological spheres such as the contemporary problems of Sustainability and Overconsumption that we face as a society. I’d be heavily interested to develop a project in this realm of green studies.

Student | GERMANY

I am Lina, a 24-year-old Master’s student in Public Policy and Social Change at the University of Tübingen, Germany. I am currently spending one exchange year at SciencesPo Paris studying International Relations with a focus on Environmental Policy. In my studies, I focus on the intersection of climate and development and am particularly interested in questions of climate justice, global health, and how we bridge the understanding between natural and social science to fight climate change. This semester I put a special focus on Science and Technology Studies and Political Ecology. My best past internship experience was with an NGO in the field of development cooperation for which I am still active as a volunteer.