Never Underestimate the Power of Networking
It all started back in September 2025 when I was feeling overly stressed about my future. I had the chance to take part in the ECREA Diaspora, Migration and the Media - International and Intercultural Communication Sections Conference 'Beyond Borders: Creative Methods and Reflexive Approaches to Migration, Media, and Intercultural Dialogue'. I participated in this conference as an intern under the supervision of Professor Anastassia Zabrodskaja, whom I believe possesses a strong will and spirit to unite people from different cultures by revealing each individual’s unique attributes and mutual perspectives.
While the main theme of the conference was about migration studies, the main objective of the organization remained clear for those who are capable of seeing the subtle details behind what is indicated. It is all about revealing mutual perspectives and help making cultural exchange much easier and familiar.
When I was assisting our beloved Professor Anastassia Zabrodskaja within the process of making technical arrangements as smooth as possible for our guests visiting from different countries with the interest of helping cultural exchange more spread out and increase the awareness of folks from different parts of the world regarding intercultural communication.
During one of the classroom arrangements along with the request received from Professor Anastassia Zabrodskaja I had pleasure of meeting an entrepreneur and researcher Suat Aksu who is a senior PhD candidate residing in Kaunas (Lithuania), who committed to the objective of developing innovative cybersecurity education/training models to enhance the cybersecurity practices highly needed in our digital era which is going through constant and rapid evolution with just blink an eye. When we met each other in the classroom where I was helping with technical setup there was this spark that I felt as if we both knew each other way before from somewhere in the past.
In coffee breaks, we were talking to each other regarding our perspectives, goals and reasons that pushed us to take the first and maybe the most important step of leaving our comfort zones to make the dream of finding out about unknown become known and real. Eventually, we needed to move beyond borders and begin to live in such different places where everything felt exciting yet strange time to time as opposed to where we are born raised within the scope of reaching our objectives.
In our university, regardless of one’s department it is compulsory for every student to participate in a practical project to be able to learn how to apply what is learned in theory in practical sense. Within the scope of one of the practical projects that I participated, I had the opportunity to become a scriptwriter for one of the episodes of Tallinn University Student Podcast channel where we talk about chat control 2.0 within the scope of cybersecurity practices broadcasted on Spotify. In the dawn of a cold late November morning, I had the pleasure of sharing updates regarding our podcast episode with my connections on Linkedin to reach more professionals with the intent of making more and more people informed and aware of cybersecurity practices by imagining that it could encourage more professionals and subject matter experts to initiative to contribute to the goal of making youth ‘cyber-safe’.
Within the scope of our practical project beloved researcher Suat Aksu reached out to me to make significant impact with the purpose of reaching more young people between the ages of 15-30 together. This is how my journey of working for Suatas Project Academy has started.
My Trip to León: Building a Safer Digital World
Walking through the old streets of León, I felt a mix of excitement and responsibility. I had traveled all the way from the freezing air of Tallinn to the heart of Spain for the ESCAP(E+) project kick-off meeting. As someone who cares deeply about digital privacy, I knew this trip was the start of something significant.
The Mission in León
In the meeting room, I met people from different parts of the world. Our goal was clear: we need to protect young people online. As a Project Coordinator, I did not just see this as work; I saw it as a way to help youth in Estonia, Turkey, and beyond stay safe.
While the famous León Cathedral stood outside like an old stone fortress, I was inside helping to build a "digital fortress" for the 21st century.
Gamified Learning
We spent a lot of time planning the VR Escape Game App. I love the idea of "gamified learning." Instead of listening to a boring lecture, 120 young people will put on VR headsets and learn to fight cyber threats by playing a game.
I also thought about my previous work on podcasts and research. And with that I’m willing to use that experience to make sure that our 5 animated videos and 10 infographics are easy to understand and fun to watch.
My Reflection
One night, walking through the city, I realized that cybersecurity is not about closing ourselves off. It is about making sure we can connect with each other without being afraid.
I left León feeling very motivated. I am not just a student or an intern; I am a creator helping to build tools that will make a real difference. I am ready to take everything I learned in Spain and use it to help youth workers and students across Europe become ‘cyber-safe’.
My Final Message
For those, who feel hesitant to get in touch with ones whom you feel comfortable around, I strongly recommend taking the first step to initiate a conversation even if you feel shy at first. You could never know what kind of opportunities you could have by just networking.
