Anyone who has visited the club in the last two and a half years knows Alexa! Alexa is currently one of the pillars of ClubIn, where she works as an pedagogue. We decided to ask Alexa more about the journey that brought her to ClubIn and her work.
Hello Alexa, would you like to tell us a bit about your background and how you came to ClubIn?
Yes, I actually studied Fine Arts and Photography at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. But soon I realized that the art world wasn’t for me.
So, I simultaneously started studying Ethnology at LMU, which I really enjoyed. I discovered that I had a great interest in topics such as cultural diversity, migration, and human-environment relationships. I decided to continue down this path and leave the Academy of Fine Arts behind. I continued studying Ethnology and specialized in Law and Human Rights as part of my minor. After completing my Bachelor’s degree in Ethnology, I earned a Master’s in Intercultural Communication at the SDI (International University) in Munich.
Wow, a very interesting path! And then? What happened next?
Then I started applying for jobs. At first, I worked as a job mentor, providing application training for women with a migration background. Through a friend, I then heard about ClubIn. It was actually funny because I lived almost next door to the club, but I didn’t know about it!
When I had the interview for the position and attended an event one evening – it was Afghan Country Night – as a visitor, experiencing the tolerant and open atmosphere of ClubIn, I immediately knew that I wanted this job.
Fortunately, everything worked out as I hoped, and since January 2022, I’ve been employed as a social education worker at ClubIn.
That means you work both in the office and in the open meeting space, right?
Exactly, Monday to Wednesday, I work in the office with Ulrike and Sergio, and I have various tasks such as program planning, public relations, consultations, application training, administrative matters, and more.
On Thursdays and Fridays, I am always present during the club’s opening hours and coordinate the different activities together with the volunteer team.
What do you like most about your job? What would you like to change?
I really appreciate the combination of office and hands-on work. I consider myself a practical person, and full-time office work wouldn’t suit me. Additionally, building relationships with people is an important part of my job.
When I think about what I’d like to change, I’d say that I’d love to work in a team where, besides me, there are more full-time educators working in the open meeting space. I also think that particularly the collaboration with a male educator could add value to ClubIn because I believe that the approach and dynamics with our male visitors would be different.
Earlier, you mentioned relationship work. I wanted to ask how difficult it is to set boundaries in this kind of work. How well are you able to separate work and private life?
This is an important topic for those of us, like me, who work a lot with people. I am getting better at handling it. Most of the time, I can separate my work and private life, but sometimes it’s harder. I am very sensitive to interpersonal relationships, so the difficulties of others don’t leave me indifferent. On the other hand, it’s necessary to set boundaries.
Do you have a method for that?
After a club night, I always take some time to wind down. Writing helps me the most. Sometimes, it’s enough to just let go of my thoughts about work on a piece of paper. I also generally need a lot of physical activity to manage stress, so I do sports like football or yoga.
I can imagine how difficult it can sometimes be to take time for yourself. But as you said, it’s also important!
How has your work changed you?
Although you might not notice it, I’m sometimes a rather introverted person in private. For example, it takes effort for me to approach (new) people and start a conversation, especially in larger groups. This wasn’t easy for me at first, but now it’s becoming easier.
Do you also feel anxious when preparing for a club night?
I wouldn’t call them fears. It’s certainly sometimes a challenge to work when you’ve had a difficult day and still need to approach people in the club with a smile and openness.
Sometimes, you need to be flexible and willing to change the program if, for example, the organized event receives little interest. For me, as someone who values structure, this isn’t always easy, but it’s more about concerns than actual fears.
Do you have a special memory connected to the club that you’d like to share?
I have so many memories of the club. But if I had to choose one event that was particularly formative for me, I would say it was the feedback I received from a female visitor during a women’s weekend. There were ten women involved, and at the end of the weekend, one woman said that, “although” she was a woman, she felt capable of achieving anything she wanted. She said it was the first time she had experienced women going away on their own, independently (without a man). The use of the word “although” impressed me greatly because, for outsiders, it might not always be easy to understand the significance of a women’s weekend. But this statement from the visitor shows me that, in some cases, women grow up believing that they cannot achieve certain goals, which for men are absolutely normal.
For me, it was very important to have contributed to this woman’s sense of self-worth.
What do you wish for ClubIn and your work?
I wish for ClubIn to continue being a place of tolerance and diversity at the same time. I don’t know of any other place in Munich where there is such an exchange between such different people, with such diverse backgrounds and lifestyles.
Normally, people often stick to their own groups: with colleagues or fellow students. But at ClubIn, diversity is wealth. Everyone is welcome just as they are!
Thank you, Alexa, for sharing that with us!
Important note: We conducted this interview with Alexa in the fall of 2024. A few weeks after the conversation, we learned that Alexa will be leaving ClubIn at the end of February 2025 to travel for an extended period. We, the editorial team, will miss her very much, as Alexa has not only coordinated the Open Meeting Space but also our blog. Under her leadership, our blog and editorial work have developed enormously. We thank Alexa for the enthusiasm and dedication she has invested in the ClubIn blog. For the structured and carefully prepared editorial meetings, where, despite everything, our personal exchange and discussions about the topics that moved us were never neglected. And most of all, for all the fun we had together over the past three years.
At the same time, we are excited for Alexa as she embarks on a new chapter in her life and wish her all the best from the bottom of our hearts!
Translated by Joeline O’Reilly