A Valued Addition to Our Team: Reflecting on Vasilisa’s Internship

At Fenix Finland, we believe that the best work happens when professional expertise meets personal passion. Recently, we had the immense pleasure of welcoming Vasilisa to our team for a two-month internship, and it has been an absolute joy to collaborate with her.

Vasilisa joined us while pursuing her Master’s degree in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare, and her dedication was evident from day one. Whether she was diving into complex scientific research, analyzing data for grants, or crafting engaging content for our blog, her contributions were always high-quality and deeply meaningful. Beyond her technical skills, her warmth and alignment with our core values made her a seamless fit for our community.

We are incredibly grateful for the hard work and heart she poured into Fenix Finland. While her internship has officially concluded, the impact of her work continues to support our mission every day.

Below, Vasilisa shares her own thoughts and reflections on her journey with us: My name is Vasilisa, and I am studying for a Master’s degree in Comparative Social Policy and Welfare. It’s a joint programme run by two universities: Johannes Kepler University in the Austrian city of Linz, and Tampere University in Finland.

A mandatory part of this master’s programme is an internship. My groupmate, Elizaveta Borodina, wrote to Fenix Finland to enquire about internship opportunities. Their collaboration was productive, and she subsequently became a part of the team. Later on, Lisa suggested that I also undertake an internship at Fenix Finland.

Since it’s important to me not just to formally finish an internship to earn academic credits, but also to work within a framework of shared values, I was, of course, happy to accept the offer. After all, as an immigrant, I know from personal experience how important psychological support is during difficult times in life. For me, applying my knowledge and skills to help people was a wonderful opportunity.

Thus, for two months, I became part of the friendly team at Fenix Finland. A variety of interesting and diverse tasks awaited me. I had the opportunity to get involved in searching for and analyzing scientific articles, preparing comparison tables for grants and partners, working with data analysis, and creating presentations and blog content. I enjoyed being able to show my skills in various ways, and the positive feedback from my supervisor was very inspiring and supportive throughout this experience.

In the end, I was able to produce work that was both high-quality and meaningful. I am very happy that the results of this work are genuinely useful and are being actively used in Fenix Finland’s activities. This experience motivates me to continue using my skills to help people through work in the public and non-profit sectors.

I am grateful to the Fenix Finland team for the opportunity to participate in the important work the organization does. I am also grateful for how positive this experience was for me: I felt supported by my colleagues, who were always ready to answer my questions, and I felt like a valuable part of Fenix Finland’s journey. I wish the project great success in its socially significant work and in further growth, and I would be very glad to contribute again in the future. I can also confidently recommend Fenix Finland as an internship opportunity to all students!