Hello! My name is Ancuta, I’m a 20-year-old French and Romanian student and I’m attending my last year of English studies at Sorbonne University. I think the best way to define myself would be as a spontaneous and curious person.

I was born and raised in a small village in Romania, where I stayed until the age of 10. Then, in 2011, I moved to France together with my family. The experience was quite overwhelming, but, in a way, made me a stronger person. In fact, I don’t know what I’ll do in the near future but I am hopefully looking forward to seeing what it holds for me. While nothing is certain, I see myself having a job that would allow me to make good use of freedom of movement.

Currently, I am on an Erasmus exchange in Reading, Great Britain. Yes – I am among the last students who will be able to say to have been in the UK thanks to Erasmus, a programme which I consider a good representation of Europe and its striving for integration: for that I feel both lucky and sad.

Today, I consider myself both Romanian and French, thus I feel European. I speak both languages, I managed to merge both cultures, and I have a double citizenship: I feel grateful. However, it’s not only that; thanks to its legislation and its multiculturalism, Europe allows its citizens to have access to many opportunities. On that note, I hope Romania manages to join the Schengen Area soon. Europe may not be perfect; yet, to me it is special because it has constantly allowed me to broaden my horizons.