To begin with, there has not been another year like 2025 in my life. Spending a year in Espilä, laughing with my dear friends and brainstorming the craziest ideas during morning schools has been one of a kind of an experience. Of course, hard work was done as well, but there have been plenty of other things to reminisce about years from now.
A year sounds like a looooong time. However, I find myself shocked when I check my calendar now. Is it really the end of October? Are we really already looking for new KY board members to take our places? Have I made the most out of this year?
I can confidently answer the last question. Yes, I have made the most out of this year. My responsibilities on the board have been KY’s Corporate Relations and Sustainability. The year started from an unusual point, as we no longer had CORE (nevöfoget). However, the year looks like how you make it, so I began to work with the guidance of my predecessors and with the endless support of the Corporate Relations Coordinator.
My potentially biased opinion is that corporate relations is the most thrilling role on the board. Having negotiations with future partners, having your own not “Sell me this pen” but “Sell me this song night” moments with prestigious, real grown-ups has been exciting and extremely rewarding. Whether the negotiations have led to sealing the deal or maybe postponing the process for a while, I have always been able to learn from each case.
But it will not be the deals that I will be nostalgic for once I am old and grumpier. It will be the people in Espilä and in the entire KY community. I’ve gotten to know so many new people, who all have had their impact on me. It is hard to think of a workplace with more laughter than Espilä, and that is something truly special. It is a reason alone to apply to the KY Board.
Elsa-Maria Oksanen
Corporate Relations & Sustainability
elsa-maria.oksanen@ky.fi
TG @elsaoksa
