Alina Schmidt-Pfitzner | Face of FEB

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Did you know who wrote the previous Faces of FEB articles? Meet Alina, an active EBF member with a strong interest in other people's stories.

Written by Aranka van Dalen, Karishma Hiro Ramchand, Thijs ten Cate and Jolien van Lierop.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hey, my name is Alina Schmidt-Pfitzner, I am 21 years old and currently in my second year studying International Business. I was born and raised in Hamburg and graduated with a bilingual diploma. After that, I took a gap year, and travelled to South-East Asia (Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos) as well as did an internship in a recruitment consultancy firm, fulfilling digital positions.

Why did you choose to come to Groningen?

I always knew I wanted to go abroad to study. It was just a matter of where. When I was younger I wanted to go far away, but as time got closer to choose a university I felt like being a bit closer to home would be a better choice as a first step. Essential for me was that I wanted to study Business which made sense in English, so I started looking for universities closer to Germany, some in Denmark and the Netherlands. The decision boiled down to Groningen due to it offering the ‘student life’ experience and its cosy vibe and I loved it from the first moment.

What do you do in your free time?

I used to play tennis, however, I got injured last year. Nevertheless I am a very active person. I like to go to the gym, or go for a run to be outside. Additionally, I love hanging out with my friends, spending time and going out with them. Apart from that I also like listening to music and I enjoy reading.

Can you tell us something about your role at EBF?

I wanted to do something besides my studies, and a friend of mine informed me about EBF which sounded quite exciting and like a great opportunity to meet new people outside my study. But also to challenge myself, I felt like this was the next step for me. The EBF is a great community not only socially but also professionally due to all their ongoing projects.

Particularly, I joined the Academy Committee because it was one of the largest committees they have to offer, therefore giving me the opportunity to meet many new people. But also because I like to organize events.

When I joined they had just taken over the event now known as Business Academy, which was very interesting for me. We decided not only upon the name but also the topics that would be discussed and the overall organization. Additionally, the company acquisition part was also quite intriguing.

Last but not least, I like that the Academy Committee supported and added value for other students, through not only the Business Academy but also the EBF shop.

And then you started writing articles for Faces of FEB (FEBtastic Students)...

My role in the Academy Committee was project officer. This position does not have a specific duty; it is rather a supporting role. But one specific task was the Faces of Feb (FEBtastic Students) articles. I joined my predecessor for one of the interviews and realized I really liked it. Especially since I got to talk to other people and hear their interest and stories. For example, the article on Zeb Bulthuis, wherein he talked about having his own startup, was very inspiring as I learned about how Zeb built his own company. This is often unheard of at our age, and thus quite impressive.

Did any particular interviewee inspire you?

Again, I would have to go with the article on Zeb. I am thinking about building my own company in the future and he really informed me on how his process went. He even has already a few years of experience in it.

However, in general, I really loved hearing all the stories and learning about the faculty and all the opportunities available for students. I also really liked seeing the dedication students have to the faculty.

What was your key takeaway from this writing experience?

I became more open to new experiences as I met so many people with diverse stories to tell. Additionally, I became more aware of the options available at this faculty that has played a huge role in inspiring me for my future endeavours (abroad or for my master).

What are your plans for next year?

I will go abroad. In the BSc International Business there are so many options, but I chose Toronto, Canada, because I wanted to go to a country where I speak the language so I can interact with the locals and explore the culture. It’s also a place where I can see myself working later. Moreover, Canada is very open-minded, progressive and thus I want to get to know how it is to live there.

And after finishing your Bachelor’s?

I am planning on taking a gap year between my Bachelor’s and Master’s and complete two internships. One in a consultancy and one in a consumer good company. I don’t know yet in which specific field, but digital strategy sounds interesting. I hope that these internships help me choose a Master’s. I would like to go somewhere else in Europe for my Master’s, to learn more about another country.

And also, if I have a bit of spare time, I will travel.

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