Melissa Valjakka

Hello and happy feelings!

I’m Melissa, second-year student, majoring in bioproducts and a quite authentic teekkari and hopefully the other Fuksi Captain 2023 of Prosessiteekkarit! When I toddled here as a fuksi, I didn’t know what being a Prosessiteekkari is. This new and strange world quite quickly turned out to be the most wonderful community. When I think about my own fuksi year, it was the most unforgettable year of my life.

When I was a fuksi I got interested in responsible duties and became a responsible for the world’s best dance crew, CanCan. This task was a good way to practice communication and information between different parties and other skills I think I can take advantage of as a Fuksi Captain. Being as a responsible, ISO and other volunteer work have also strengthened the feeling that the role of Fuksi Captain would suit me, because I enjoy working with people and creating new experiences for others, while still knowing how to maintain some kind of order.

By my character, I’m very approachable and I love meeting new people. I’m active and interested in new things and not afraid of small or bigger challenges. I cheer and try to inspire others to bravely go and try out new things. I feel that these are exactly the qualities that a good Fuksi Captains throughout the times have had.

Nowadays I know what being a Prosessiteekkari is. It’s the incredible community spirit, courage, encouraging and accepting others despite differences. You can come to PT just as you are, and you will be welcomed with open arms. This is what I would like to teach new fuksis. I would also like to enable a fuksi year, during which everyone finds their place in our association and feels important. I also consider it important to continue the good cooperation with other guilds.

I understand that the role of Fuksi Captain is time-consuming, and the responsibility is great. However, I have prepared for this, and I believe that I will survive with honor, especially when Aapo Haavisto is the other captain!

The cooperation between us works smoothly and relaxed, with a little twinkle in the corner of the eye. We know how to listen to each other and laugh a little at both ourselves, and each other. We are always ready to help each other and everyone else. You can count on us that we would honorably raise each fuksi ’23 to become amazing Prosessiteekkari, so that the flag of out association will remain as high in the future!

I will gladly answer any questions, my application letter may have raised! You can send them on the election page or in tg @mellunkyla

1. If you were Fuksi Captain, what would your goal for the next 1.5 years be? How would you develop the different aspects of fuksi activities? What would you like to keep?

The most important goals for me would of course be to organize an unforgettable fuksi year, which the fuksis will later remember with warmth and to get the new fuksis to be active PT members. During the orientation week I would like to organize more group activities with their own fuksi group. One of my dreams would also be to increase physical activity and get more fuksis to join for example PT’s sport sessions. I feel this is important because exercise brings a good balance in the middle of all the other events. I think it’s important to keep old events that have gotten positive feedback. Especially the events organized with other guilds are often ones that the fuksis have liked. When it comes to alcohol at events, I would like to maintain a neutral line, which I think PT has already done well. I would also include alcohol-free events so that no one feels left out from that aspect.

2. Students who do not feel that they belong to a community or have relationships with their fellow students at the beginning of their studies often lag behind in their studies. How do you manage to integrate all fuksis into a community or help them to find their own group of friends?

I would like to take into account, especially in the events during early fall, that for example, all things done in groups should not start from the assumption that everyone already has a group of friends, in which case fuksis who may be alone would have the opportunity to get to know others in a smaller group. So sometimes I would like to organize mixed groups. I would also like to emphasize the role of ISOs in the activation of fuksis in their own fuksi groups. Emphasizing the importance of certain events, where for example, the activities of different Aalto clubs and associations are presented, could also serve as a good way to get fuksis to find communities that are interesting to them.

3. Given the large amount of PT fuksis and the possible increase in intake next year,
how would you prepare for the above questions?

During the early fall, it is of course easy to organize events outdoors, in which case there will be no size restrictions. I think it is not an impossible idea to organize more events in groups. As I mentioned the important role of ISOs in the previous question, I want to continue it here. Although I feel that I know how to notice if someone seems lonely or left out, as intake increases, it is more challenging to distinguish those who remain lonely from the mass. It is exactly for his reason that I would hope that the fuksis would get their own ISO-group to be a familiar and a safe group.

4. How would you ensure equality between Finnish- and English-speaking bachelor
fuksis?

More English could be added to the events, and I don’t think the idea of an event here and there being entirely in English is bad. Of course, it is also important to deliver all the information clearly in both Finnish and in English. I would also like to get the English-speaking fuksis to apply as PT Officials. I also see CanCan as a good opportunity to get English-speaking fuksis involved in PT activities, because from a personal experience, CanCan was the most unifying thing in my own fuksi year. I would also like to cooperate with the Head of International and Master’s affairs and I would like to ask the current English-speaking fuksis their thoughts on what has worked and what hasn’t. From them I think I would get a more concrete perspective that would help me start planning the next year.

5. Being Fuksi Captain is teamwork. What kind of partner would you like for yourself and what kind of partner would you be? How would you maintain good atmosphere and working habits with your partner?

I would like a reliable partner who also has a sense of humor and carries a will to do things with them. would hope both of us to be equally active and have the same passion with the work. Not the way that in the end one of us does most of the tasks. I would hope for equal treatment and that both dare to speak our own opinions. I would personally be a partner who wants to participate with enthusiasm and plan the events carefully in good time. I would be a work partner who listens and respects the other. I maintain a good atmosphere by taking care of agreed matters on time and also giving space to the other’s thoughts and ideas. I feel that it is also important to know how to have fun together.