Meet the team! – Hanna’s World of Biking Adventures and Multilingual Wonders

Hello Hanna and thanks for taking part in this interview! 

Let’s start easy: what is your role at Uniser and what are your main occupations?

All of last year, I had the two roles of Sending Account and Mobility Coordinator for the Polish market. Basically, I was taking care of all the VET projects processes for Polish schools, staying in close cooperation both with schools and hosting partners

When did you join Uniser and what prompted you to do so?

I joined Uniser in April 2023. I have known the organization for many years, having cooperated with Uniser as a partner in many projects. When the possibility to join the Uniser team appeared, I was more than happy to do so.

What’s been the most challenging part of your role so far? 

The most challenging part is being in between schools and hosting partners and finding a compromise. I was the only person performing two roles at once, and it was very hard not to share the responsibility with anyone and to manage all the expectations alone. Another difficult aspect was that I was relatively new to the projects, and partners and schools often used the “trick” of saying, “With the previous coordinator, we always did it like this…”

… and the most rewarding? 

When we worked out our way of communication and cooperation with some schools and hosting partners, things started going smoother and became more productive.

What is your relationship with your colleagues? How do you motivate each other? 

The best motivation for me is when we are in a team, clearly sharing tasks, and everyone is performing their tasks properly. Sharing emotions and working out common solutions is also very important. I think I have good relationships with my colleagues, but last year, I was mostly working with the Polish market alone. Sometimes, I received support from my Team Leaders and some colleagues from the MC team. When we had this cooperation, I felt very comfortable and got closer to the colleagues who were involved.

And how do you find motivation yourself? What inspires you? 

Sometimes I find this job very challenging emotionally. So I had to work on my attitude to the job – to take it very professionally, not personally. Proper planning, sharing tasks and feeling that the job can be finished (it is not obvious in our case:)))) Work-life balance is also absolutely essential for me.

Do you have any passions or hobbies? 

 “Bike rider, I am a bike rider” © I like all bikes, but my true love is an old Motobecane racing bike. I love reading and always try to read a book in its original language if possible. I enjoy European and American independent movies. Different languages fascinate me — each one feels like a different planet, which is amazing and so different. I love discovering how different meanings and words reflect the background and reality of each culture. My kids are multilingual, and it’s also amazing to observe how easily and naturally a small person can learn and use many languages.

Do you like traveling?
I love traveling. Changing the environment is a natural way for me to stay in good mental health 🙂

Do you have any trips planned for the near future?

I just visited Georgia, Lithuania and Belarus. My nearest trip will be to Hungary, it’s a very often destination for me.

What would be your dream trip and why? 

I would love to return to Svalbard, where I’ve been once before. It was the trip of my life (so far); the powerful presence of nature there is amazing. You feel like a very small part of a vast ecosystem, and you must adhere to its rules. There aren’t many choices;)) I am also very interested in the Baltic countries and Finland; I greatly appreciate the culture and nature of these regions.

Is there a famous quote, film, song or anything similar that inspires you? Why?

Nowadays, I don’t focus on a single film or quote. Instead, I appreciate a wide variety of sources of inspiration around me. The best quotes I receive come from my children every day :)))