Zsófia Sebeszta: We are creating a community in which every student can grow

“My goal is to create a transparent, stable, and continuously growing organization. To achieve this, I will focus primarily on fostering internal communication and knowledge transfer processes. In addition to these, our regular February instructor training and preparations for the International Semmelweis Carnival are already in full swing,” said Zsófia Sebeszta, the newly elected President of the Instructor Unprompted Group and the first student at the András Pető Faculty (PAK) of the university to serve as head of the organization. The currently fourth-year conductor student was captivated by the energetic world of the instructors during the Freshman Camp and was actively involved in the organization’s work throughout her training. She has experienced in recent years that the task and mission of instructors is not limited to supporting freshmen but also includes helping to create a community for instructors and all university students in which they can thrive, establish relationships, and find their purpose.

“I was shy and quiet at the time when I was accepted to the András Pető Faculty (PAK), but then I completed my instructor training and met lots of people with different mindsets, which shaped my personality,” recalled Zsófia Sebeszta. She added that after a while, a point came when she began to give back what she had received from the organization, and as an organizer of events and training courses, she started to help others become part of the world of volunteer groups, so that university life could become more colorful for others as well.

“I like to push my boundaries,” she remarked when asked why she ran for IÖCS president. She can make good use of the experience she has gained as an instructor in her studies: As a conductor, it often happens that things do not go according to plan during a practical session, unexpected situations arise that need to be dealt with and resolved quickly, and the problem-solving skills she has acquired as an instructor are invaluable in this regard. Counselling on time management helps to ensure a balance between community tasks, studies, and time spent recharging.

The new president plans to further develop the internal knowledge transfer system, which has a long tradition at IÖCS. This is partly based on processing feedback and experiences from organizers and students/participants after each event to raise its standard and address any issues. Based on last year’s Freshman Camp, which was held at a new location, conclusions were drawn and IÖCS operations are being reorganized. Due to the larger venue, more participants, and the new theme, we had to involve more instructors in the organization, including senior members, whose experience we always count on. This year, we will pay even more attention to the organizing process, pointed out Zsófia Sebeszta.

She shared that there are around 800 active student members of IÖCS, and with senior members, they can draw on the experience and advice of a total of 2,600 people, including the founders of the association, which was established in 2002. The composition of the membership varies, but every faculty is represented. Larger faculties typically provide more instructors, though an increasing number of new instructors are coming from smaller faculties. Each faculty has a representative who maintains contact with the faculty management and students on behalf of IÖCS. “The new location and concept of this year’s Freshman  Camp also provided an opportunity to develop closer ties with the university management and other student organizations, which I would like to further strengthen in the future, along with the student feedback mechanism,” added Zsófia Sebeszta. She believes that closer cooperation will not only facilitate the exchange of experiences and ensure the smooth running of events but will also provide opportunities for launching new projects and initiatives.

At the IÖCS annual General Assembly held on November 13, in addition to presenting the executive committee’s report on the previous year’s activities and approving the list of new senior members, the new supervisory board and management were also elected.

Melinda Katalin Kiss
Translation: Judit Szabados-Dőtsch
Photos by Boglárka Zellei – Semmelweis University