Meet the Team

My name is Francesca and I joined the YFU global office as the Communications and Advocacy Assistant in 2023. My tasks include supporting YFU’s internal and external communication, support advocacy and fundraising activities and support the implementation of the Youth Empowerment Seminar (YES). I have been an exchange student in Australia. I value working at YFU because I believe that intercultural learning leads to the development of a set of attitudes and skills that help young people to understand themselves and others to be able to act for social transformation. I am really excited to be part of the GMC and I believe in spreading the YFU Spirit as much as possible!

Hello everyone! My name is Dagne, and I originally hail from Lithuania. However, for the past three years, I've been calling the Netherlands home, and currently, I'm backpacking around South America. My journey toward exploring different cultures began in 2017 when I embarked on an exchange program to Denmark. The experience opened my eyes to a world of opportunities, inspiring me to actively engage in volunteer work upon my return. Back in Lithuania, I became an active volunteer for YFU Lithuania and YFU YES. These experiences fueled my passion for psychology, leading me to spend the last three years studying the subject with a focus on cultural psychology, intergroup relationships, and discrimination. I firmly believe that participating in an exchange at the age of 17 is an immensely valuable experience, despite its inevitable challenges. It offers a unique opportunity to explore a new country, gain deeper insights into oneself, and foster cultural awareness. This conviction led me to see the broader impact of exchange experiences, not only in personal development but also in combating prejudice, discrimination, and promoting cultural understanding. Motivated by this belief, I joined GMC with the goal of spreading the word about YFU and its mission to make the world a more tolerant place. I am enthusiastic about contributing to the cause and sharing the transformative power of exchange experiences.

My name is Sam. I am from France but I currently live in the Netherlands where I do my Erasmus+ exchange for the last year of my bachelor degree. I went on exchange twice with YFU: I did a summer program in Australia in 2016 and then a year in Argentina in 2018/2019. I've been a volunteer since 2016 and had the chance to help in so many ways, both nationaly and internationaly. I even did an internship in the office of YFU Poland during the summer of 2022. I am very happy to be part of the GMC and hope to continue sharing people stories

Hello YFU family! My name is Cecilia Vanesa Vilanova or Ceci, as everyone calls me. I am from San Juan, Argentina. I am 21 years old, I study architecture and I love art in all its forms. I found out about YFU because I saw on social media that all my friends were hanging out in a camp, when I asked them why they had not invited me, they told me that it was a YFU volunteer camp and that if I wanted I could also joined them. Since January 10th, 2020 I have not left YFU, and today I fall more in love with this great family every day. I see YFU as the place where I feel good no matter what, and at the same time I do good for the world and the YFU family, so today I do everything in my power so that YFU reaches more people like it reached me.