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Hello everyone! I'm the new volunteer

 Hi!

My name is Louise, I'm 26 years old, and I'm from France. Ever since I was a child, I wanted to go abroad to see what life is like elsewhere.

Two years ago, in 2022, I graduated with a Master’s degree in Law, specialising in European Law. That’s how I first heard about the European Solidarity Corps (but only from an academic perspective, as we were studying several European programs).

During my studies, I volunteered every summer with a French organisation that supports migrants in different aspects of their lives. The first Summer, I helped organise activities for children living in a refugee center. And the following years, I joined the legal advice service, where I assisted migrants with their administrative process to obtain or renew their residence permits. It was a truly rewarding experience that helped me grow personally.

After graduation, I felt lost. I knew from my volunteering experience that I wanted a job that had a positive impact on society, but I wasn't sure what I could do with my degree, which was very research/PhD-oriented.

After a year of questioning, I remembered the ESC program, and I was sure that’s what I wanted to do. I started working to save money. But when my short-term contract ended in May 2024, I started doubting again: Was I too old? I knew the program was open until age 30, but most people do it during a gap year after high school or university, don't they? And what if future employers don’t see it as relevant experience and asked about that “gap” on my CV?

So, even though I really wanted to participate, I also started looking for a job as a legal officer in immigration law, and I wasn’t putting too much energy into my ESC search. Then, one day, I received an email from ESC titled “An organisation wants to contact you,” with a link to a volunteer project called “Helping migrants in Italy.” I thought it was a sign.

As I read the project description, I realised the title was a bit misleading (Caritas Jesina isn’t only focused on migrants) but I applied anyway because I really liked the organisation’s values and the missions they proposed.

Everything went quickly after that. I got the email in early March, replied and got the interview in mid-March, and arrived in Italy on April 10th! I was very excited to start this new chapter in my life.

When I arrived, everyone was very welcoming, especially the other volunteer (and flatmate), Rio. He introduced me to everyone and passionately showed me what our work involves. Thanks to him, I quickly learned how everything works, which made my first week amazing (well… except for a broken finger, but that’s on me!)

Rio and me on my first week 

I’m already excited about the journey ahead and looking forward to the personal and professional growth this experience promises. 😀

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