Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/310131
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 11 MAY 2014 XIII Europe 2014 Republic Street, Valletta next to the Courts 25-year-old Vivienne Bajada from Gozo is a Masters student at the University of Malta and also works at a communications agency. Hers is a truly hectic schedule juggling the demands of study with the rigours of work, leaving her little time for anything else, yet somehow she manages to squeeze in a life between all her various engagements. Strong willed and clear-minded, this is a young lady who has a clear purpose. Vivienne is also a Student Representative on the Council at the University, another part of her balancing act. "I think it's all a question of personal growth and time-management. True, a tertiary educational institute in Gozo would have meant that I would have had fewer expenses, less travelling and more time with my family. "On the other hand, it would have hindered my personal journey towards financial independence, the improvement of my social skills and it would have kept me from learning how to adapt – something other EU students go through." Vivienne is positive about the impact of the EU on her home community. "I think the most drastic change seen on a purely physical level is the refurbishment of the island, especially through the use of EU regional funding schemes. The infrastructure has been completely revamped. Moreover, the Gozitan public has been made more aware of what the EU stands for, their rights and duties as EU citizens and how they can personally benefit from the EU." As a Gozitan currently living in Malta, Vivienne is very clear about who she is and what she wants. "I have dual citizenship – Maltese and European. For me, the two are mutually interchangeable. The good thing about the EU is that there is still individuality within diversity. This is what makes the EU such a culturally diverse and interesting region to live in." She believes that it's important to promote Europe among young people, "I was an organiser of the NSTF Mini European Assembly which was the national winner of the Charlemagne Youth Prize. As a result, I was invited by the European Parliament to Aachen. "Meeting people like yourself who have the EU and its citizens at heart gave us the opportunity to exchange good practices and come up with better solutions to the so- called problem of 'disinterest' that many people have towards the EU. I stopped believing in the value of experiences 'for CV purposes' a very long time ago. However, I do believe that these experiences help me grow as a person." Vivienne is an advocate of participating in EU programmes. "The first programme I ever participated in was the Leonardo Programme, when I was still at school. It opened a new world of interaction with similar- minded youths from all around Europe. Amongst others, I had the opportunity to visit Brussels with Opinion Multiplier groups several times and participate in international conferences with the European Youth. I will also be visiting Strasbourg for Europe Day with the European Parliament. These are all experiences I would not trade for the world." Vivienne's still working on building her future and confesses that she sees benchmark behaviour in some of Malta's current MEPs. "Some MEPs painstakingly divide their time between Malta and Brussels, trying to keep up with their duties both as representatives in European Parliament as well as the direct connection between the European Parliament and the citizens who elected them. I think others should learn from them." The issue she would like to see tackled by the European Parliament after the European elections in May is one that has been highlighted in the media recently, "Clearly immigration. And not which country should be assigned the most immigrants – we are not dealing with cattle here. I think the European Parliament should liaise with the other EU institutions and come up with a solution to tackle the root of the problem, producing long-term results." PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD 'Participating in EU initiatives helped me grow as a person' 25-year-old Gozitan student Vivienne Bajada says that although having access to tertiary education in Gozo would have been helpful on one level, having to make an effort to study in Malta did motivate her to seek out financial independence