Interview with Charlotte Pellegrino

Hello Charlotte, can you introduce yourself?

Hello, my name is Charlotte Pellegrino, I'm 20 years old and I'm currently in my third year in Industrial Systems Engineering (GSI) at INSA CVL on the Blois campus.

Which associations have you been involved with at INSA CVL and in what ways?

The association I was involved in was the Student Union, where I was the main president. It was my most important commitment during my student years, because it was a real team effort, with over 70 members. Our aim was to boost student life on campus, but also in the town and within the INSA network. This involved the organisation and financial management of many events of different sizes. I also sat on a number of INSA CVL bodies and committees.

In which association have you had the most responsibilities (office) and which ones?

My role as President obviously gave me a great deal of financial, legal and human responsibility. This was particularly the case during major events such as the Integration Weekend (WEI), the High Five or the skiing holiday.

If you had to single out one highlight of your time with the association, what would it be?

The WEI! (although I have a lot of very positive memories more generally). This is the most important event for us during induction, bringing together nearly 500 students. That year, we ran into some major complications and were faced with the risk of having to cancel. We decided to change venue, which meant reorganising everything in barely a week. It was the hardest week of my life, but also the one that taught me the most. When I saw the students having a great time and giving us very positive feedback, I felt a huge sense of pride for the whole team. So, it's a memory that's both difficult and very important to me.

What's the hardest thing about juggling your studies with your involvement in voluntary work? The most positive aspect?

The hardest thing to manage between studying and getting involved in clubs is time. You want to do everything, and it's quite complicated to find the right balance between the two, to avoid one getting the better of the other. Especially as, alongside student activities at INSA, there's also our personal life, which shouldn't be neglected.

But the most positive aspect is that this commitment brings huge skills (detailed below). For me, it's quite complementary to what we learn in our training, and these are essential skills for our future as engineers!

What support/help have you received from INSA CVL recently?

We receive a lot of support from INSA. Financially, the CVEC and FSDIE committees provide support for a lot of projects and events. What's more, throughout my term of office I could count on the support of the administrative and management staff, who were attentive and provided invaluable help when I needed it.

In student life in its broadest sense (housing, inclusion, solidarity, grants, health, etc.), what do you think is the school's greatest asset?

In my opinion, one of the main assets of the school is accommodation. In Blois, everything is easily accessible on foot. Whether you're shopping, walking around town or meeting up with students, everything is still nearby!

What skills do you think you've developed through these student activities?

I've developed many skills, such as a sense of teamwork, management, organisation, communication and critical thinking.

Do you have any advice for students who might be reluctant to get involved?

The advice I'd give is to get as involved as possible in voluntary work! It may seem daunting or inaccessible at first, but once you're in, it's an incredible life experience. As well as giving you the chance to meet lots of people and broaden your network, it gives you real skills that are useful and appreciated in the professional world!