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West Bank, Palestine, 2003 Alumni Awards, 2023 than their male counterparts, sometimes forcing them to sacrifice one over the other. Speaking about the joys of her job, Fotini said ‘I’m fascinated by other cultures’ and shared that she often incorporates local cuisine into her diet and makes an effort to appreciate local art, music and language which allows her to gain a perspective on a place which she said, unfortunately, does Your work as a humanitarian does not depend on you, it is decided by others emphasised that ‘you have to keep your eye on the target’. Fotini was reminded of the importance of these skills and recalled a day in late July of last year when she arrived at her workplace in Niger and was met by a colleague who looked visibly shaken. ‘They have detained the President’ she heard and for that day, everything was placed on hold to protect staff and respond to a coup d’etat. not always reach the news outlets. ‘I was always interested in Fotini’s advice to those beginning in their career is to follow languages,’ Fotini told me that this interest was encouraged your gut feeling, asserting that ‘all of the decisions I have by her family as ‘a way to communicate with the outside taken on impulse in my life have been the right ones’. Whilst world and to broaden your horizons’. Fotini is a multilinguist Fotini’s CV is full of inspiration for those hoping to pursue a and speaks Greek, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and career in international social service, she pointed to volunteer some Arabic. Fotini spoke about how her language skills have opportunities as a great place to start. These opportunities enabled her to connect with the native people that she works exist both domestically and among international NGOs and with and for. She joked that when she wonders what she will at the United Nations. She said that election monitoring is do when she retires, she reminds herself of all the languages another great option and where Fotini herself commenced she has yet to learn. her international career. As well as negotiation and language skills, Fotini stressed the importance of prioritisation and keeping a cool head, even in the midst of tragedy, in her line of work, citing unpredictable crises and the adrenaline that these can provoke and Despite its challenges, Fotini cherishes humanitarian work for its fulfilling rewards: ‘I know that the work that I do is far from enough, but it is the best we can do and that is more than nothing’.
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TEAM TRINITY A s the world prepares for the Olympics and Paralympics, we take this moment to celebrate sporting excellence in Trinity. With the university adorned in the Olympic colours, the stories of Aifric Keogh, Sean Husband, and Melanie Griffith serve as a reminder of Trinity’s legacy of nurturing champions. ach of these Trinity athletes have left their mark on their chosen sport and they embody the spirit of excellence and perseverance that defines Trinity, on and off the field.
