Experience stories

Meet Ieva Putnina — diagnosed with Alopecia Areata at 12 years old. For years, she hid behind wigs and fear. But everything changed when she chose to embrace her true self.

Discover Erum Ali’s inspiring story in the latest Stories from the North episode. Host Linda Paulauska explores Erum’s journey from Pakistan to Finland as a single mother of two. Hear how she balances motherhood, education, and life in Lapland, showcasing courage, resilience, and determination.

Aleksandra donated eggs bringing hope to anonymous infertility-struggling families. She navigated medical tests, hormone therapy, and oocyte punctures five times.

Amena Mohamed⁠ is from Egypt. She shares her amazing and sometimes challenging life journey from childhood to the present as a student in the Erasmus Mundus master’s degree program “Service Design Strategies and Innovations.”

An orphaned girl with Down Syndrome was offered for adoption to 127 families, all of whom declined. The girl’s story deeply touched the Wimmer family, leading them to embark on international adoption before even seeing a photo of the child.

Hear Mariia Kashych’s powerful story of resilience and hope in the latest Stories from the North episode. Host Linda Paulauska explores Mariia’s journey from fleeing war-torn Ukraine to rebuilding her life through studies in Germany and Finland. An inspiring testament to courage and determination—don’t miss it!

Giving lectures on creating human-centric solutions—providing frameworks and methods to ensure teams design meaningful projects that truly serve people and foster positive change.

In this Stories from the North episode, meet Carolina Vaz-Pires from Portugal, whose passion for education and travel has taken her across Europe. Host Linda Paulauska explores Carolina’s inspiring journey through the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s program, spanning Latvia, Finland, and Estonia.

In this podcast series, she shares her life from childhood until now. She is one of the students in the Erasmus Mundus master’s degree program “⁠Service Design Strategies and Innovations⁠,” which leads her to experience different countries and study in a very diverse class.

Kiwoong Nam shares his inspiring move from South Korea to Rovaniemi - Finland’s Northern city, and his story of adjusting to Arctic life with his family.