When I have started my volunteering experience as an IVY Reporter at the EUSALP Secretariat, I thought I knew what European cooperation looked like. I imagined meetings, policies, and institutional work taking place behind closed doors. A few months later, I have discovered something very different: European cooperation is, above all, about people.

Since April, I have been part of the Communication Service, where I help bring the work of EUSALP to life through social media, content creation, photography, and video editing. Every day, I have the opportunity to transform ideas, events, and projects into stories that people can understand and connect with.

What I enjoy most is that no two days are the same. One day I might be preparing content for social media, the next I am editing a video from an event or interviewing participants about their experience. Through the 4Support EUSALP project, I have helped showcase initiatives such as the 4Support Eusalp kick-off, Pitch Your Project, the AI Hackathon, the Digital Alps Conference, the Macro-Regional Strategies (MRS) Days, the EUSALP Annual Forum, and the Energy Award. Each event has introduced me to new ideas, inspiring people, and innovative projects that demonstrate how cooperation can make a real difference across the Alpine region.

What has surprised me the most is everything I have learned beyond communication itself.

Before joining the Secretariat, I knew very little about macro-regional strategies. I had heard the term “cross-border cooperation,” but it remained quite abstract to me. Today, I understand that it is something much more tangible. It is regions choosing to work together instead of separately. It is experts, local authorities, researchers, entrepreneurs, and young people sharing their knowledge to tackle common challenges from climate change and energy transition to innovation and digitalisation.

Being behind the scenes has allowed me to see the amount of collaboration, commitment, and passion that goes into every initiative. The events I help communicate are not simply conferences or meetings; they are places where ideas become partnerships and where discussions can lead to concrete projects that benefit people across borders.

As someone working in communication, this has also changed the way I see my own role. Communication is not just about publishing posts or producing videos. It is about giving visibility to the people behind the projects, making European initiatives more accessible, and helping citizens understand why cooperation matters in their everyday lives. Every story shared, every interview recorded, and every video published becomes another way of connecting Europe with its citizens.

This experience has also helped me grow personally. I have strengthened my skills in digital communication, visual storytelling, and video production, while becoming more confident working in an international environment. Most importantly, I have learned to adapt, to be curious, and to appreciate the value of teamwork across cultures and languages.

Looking back, I realise that my IVY experience is about much more than professional development. It has given me a new perspective on Europe itself. Instead of seeing European cooperation as something distant, I now see the people behind it: colleagues who are passionate about their work, project partners who believe in collaboration, and young innovators eager to contribute to a more sustainable future.

This experience has reminded me that Europe is built every day not only through policies, but through conversations, partnerships, creativity, and trust. I feel grateful to contribute to this process by helping tell the stories of those who are making it happen.

My journey at the EUSALP Secretariat is still ongoing, and I know there is much more to learn. But one thing is already certain: this experience has strengthened my interest in European affairs and shown me that communication has the power to make cooperation visible, meaningful, and inspiring.

Sometimes, all it takes is telling the right story to remind people that Europe is not just a mapit is a community working together across borders.