👩‍🏫 My name is Fenja, I’m 18 years old and come from Germany. Right now, I am living in France as a European Solidarity Corps volunteer. My workplace is a small school in the countryside where I help students discover Europe and all of the opportunities offered to them by the EU.

🇪🇺 Having family all over the world and in various European countries, Europe has always been an important part of my life – I grew up surrounded by different languages and cultures. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to take part in exchanges with Poland and France which have been an incredible way of getting to know these countries and their people. Being able to have a conversation with a Polish exchange student when broken English was the only language we had in common, a French exchange student becoming one of my best friends… All of this has really made me appreciate the Schengen agreement.

🤝 Now, as an ESC volunteer in France, I am living together with fellow volunteers from Italy, Spain and Argentina. Being able to share our cultures and traditions with each other feels truly special. Experiences like these make me grateful for all of the opportunities we have thanks to the European Union.

💙 For me, Europe is more than a continent, it’s a feeling of unity and belonging to more than one place. It is the feeling of being at home in all of the countries across Europe, of never feeling like a foreigner, but feeling European instead. To me, it means not really knowing borders thanks to the Schengen area. It feels like being a part of something extraordinary, filled with good memories and amazing people. Despite some issues, Europe, in my eyes, represents freedom and equality, as well as peace and opportunities for all. These things that make Europe unique shouldn’t be taken for granted and I am very thankful for them.