Euraf Candidate Interview: Loriane Henninot

Interview by Alexandra Oh

Please introduce yourself

My name is Loriane, I am 17 years old, and I am from Brittany, France. I’ve spent my whole life in Brittany, and I chose the Euraf program because I want to work in sustainable development. I also have many friends from Africa who have inspired me to study and help the development of this continent. I love music, and I was in the Scout Movement, which is similar to the American “Girl Scout” program. I started very young, and it instilled in me confidence and many life skills. That program gave me the desire to help people and be useful.

What do you think the role of a student representative at Sciences Po Reims is/should be?

I think that a student representative is just a simple student. They should be the link between the administration and the students in general. They are not a leader necessarily– just a student with some extra responsibility. They need to transmit the general sentiment and attitude of the students. When we, as students, arrive at Sciences Po, we make a promise to run the distance, and Sciences Po makes the same promise to us. The school tells us that we will find what we are searching for; we have something to bring to our school and they have something to bring us. A student representative ensures that this promise is respected on both sides.

Why are you running to be a student representative?

It is very important to me to make things move. I would like to be a student representative because it is a good experience and to learn how to manage a group of interests and create a global and effective message. I also believe it would be a great way to be closer with everyone in my cohort because I can talk to people and learn about them and their point of view.

What makes you qualified for this position?

I am very determined. My motto is “Nothing is impossible apart from putting toothpaste back in the tube.” This defines me. I also will never abandon the people and ideas that I put my trust in, and that put their trust in me. I will give all my time and energy until I succeed.

As a student representative what would be your mission/main goals (i.e. explain your platform)?

My main goal is to maintain the hope that is the common point of all the Euraf students. We all hope to succeed and help Africa develop, and I would like to keep this belief that we can do something alive; I want to empower people.

What is the one thing that as a student representative, you’d like the change or reform?

Like many Euraf students, I was disappointed by the lack of Africa-centric classes. I would like more diversity in the class selection. I would also like to make the relationship between the Euram and Euraf program more balanced. The Euram program is strongly tied to the campus of Reims, but there is much less advertisement, information, and representation of the Euraf program.

Finally, if could be any living person for a day, who would you be and why?

I would be a girl in a country with war. My life in France is very easy. I am privileged to have the rights that I do. Women are still not completely equal to men, but compared to some countries where girls’ lives are constantly at risk, I am very lucky. So, I would like to live in the life of one of these girls so that I can better understand their struggle and their situation. I think it is often difficult from an occidental point of view to truly understand war and hunger. I’ve never feared for my life. I just want to be able to better understand how people live.