Helga’s new Executive Director believes in the power of collaboration

According to Tekla, moving to Helga feels like a natural continuation of the journey.

– Working for a Student Union feels like coming full circle in a way, as my own career in positions of trust began at METKA, the Student Union of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, during the COVID years. After that, my path led me to the National Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences SAMOK and then to work in various organisations. Students have always been at the heart of my work in one way or another, and it is fantastic to be able to put all that experience into practice at Helga!

Tekla is particularly motivated by the opportunity to make a tangible difference in students’ everyday lives.

– The best thing about student activities, and now working for students, is how concretely you can help create a better student experience, whether it is through opportunities to learn, amplifying students’ voices, or supporting a sense of community.

Smooth everyday operations and long-term development

In the role as Executive Director, Tekla emphasises the importance of ensuring the smooth day-to-day operations of the Student Union. According to Tekla, enabling success benefits the entire community.

– I believe the most important task of an Executive Director is to keep the Student Union’s daily operations running smoothly and enable the whole community to succeed. In practice, this means everything from financial administration and statutory meetings to everyday supervisory work and supporting elected representatives.

During the first weeks, Tekla's focus has been both on learning the new role and planning for the future.

– At the moment, my work is focused not only on learning new things but also on future-oriented thinking: how can the Student Union’s activities become more sustainable and long-term than they are today?

According to Tekla, there is a strong willingness to develop collaboration both within Helga and with different actors across Haaga-Helia.

– What excites me most is that, in many of our internal discussions and conversations with different actors at Haaga-Helia, we have already identified shared visions and concrete plans for making collaboration, processes and practices clearer, more efficient and more purposeful. Across the wider Haaga-Helia community, there seems to be a strong spirit of finding new ways of working, and I am excited to contribute to that development.

Students’ everyday lives reflect both challenges and opportunities

Tekla sees several interconnected challenges in students’ current situation. Financial uncertainty, wellbeing concerns and the increasing need to work alongside studies affect many students’ daily lives.

– Students face many challenges in their everyday lives, and these are often closely linked. Reduced student financial aid creates concerns about economic security, student poverty places additional strain on mental wellbeing, and at the same time the growing need for paid employment makes it more difficult to build a sense of community.

At the same time, Tekla sees significant opportunities in higher education.

– On the other hand, we are living in a time when higher education is needed more than ever. Flexible study options make it possible to tailor one’s competence development very precisely, and a sense of community remains at the core of student life.

Helga builds community on many levels

According to Tekla, Helga’s most important role is to provide students with a platform for community, participation and wellbeing throughout their entire study journey.

– I see Helga’s role first and foremost as a platform for all of these things. Helga supports students’ integration into the community from the very beginning of their studies through tutoring activities, helps create favourable conditions for student groups and student associations, and also organises events itself.

Alongside fostering community, the Student Union also plays an important role as a representative and advocate for students.

– At the same time, we fulfil our statutory role of preparing students for active, informed and critical citizenship, for example by appointing student representatives to the higher education institution’s governing bodies and by influencing decision-making both within and beyond Haaga-Helia.

In an increasingly international higher education community, accessibility and equality are also key themes.

– In our increasingly international community, this also means ensuring that we operate in as multilingual and inclusive a way as possible.

In recent years, Helga has invested particularly in physical activity and substance-free student events as part of promoting wellbeing.

– In terms of wellbeing, physical activity and substance-free student events have been particularly important priorities for us in recent years.

Tekla wants to help strengthen students’ voices and develop the Student Union’s activities in a sustainable and long-term way together with the entire Haaga-Helia community.