The winners of the 8th Erasmus+ competition „My special person – Our story“ are finally announced! Read on to meet the winners and to get to know their stories!

The contest

Sometimes you meet a special person in life, who you will remember long after the first encounter. They can show you new perspectives or make you ask questions, you've never asked before. These are the stories of encounters that touch our heart and can change the way we think.

The writing contest "My Special Person - Our Story" was all about the stories of these special persons. We wanted to know, who your special persons are, what they mean to you and how you met them. And you told us your stories in your letters, interviews, essays or reports. Thank you very much for all of the entries and for sharing your experiences with us and the world!

The winners

It was not easy, but finally out of the 158 entries of 18 different countries, the Jury has chosen five winning stories. Some of the winners were honored at the EFD-future conference at the 21st October in Aachen. Now meet the winners and read their stories!

1st Place: Eva Stoelzel

Eva is from Berlin, 27 years old and is studying Arabic language in Leipzig. She has taken part in three contests on youthreporter.eu before and has spent a year abroad herself. That’s how she made the experience, that it is not only about the things you do, but about the people you meet and how they change you. Her text “Spuren” (Traces) is exactly about that: the traces that a special person hast left in her life.

Eva Stoelzel: „Spuren“

2nd Place: Eugeniu Grituc

Eugeniu from Bender, Moldova is 29 years old. He dedicated two and a half years working at a school for mentally challenged children in Germany. In his text, he explains how you sometimes meet someone, who’s telling you a story about yourself. Niko, whom he has met in Germany, is one of these persons. He wants to say "thank you" to him in his "Letter to a Dear Friend“:

Eugeniu Grituc: "Letter to a Dear Friend"

3rd Place: Joana Sousa

Joana is 26 years old and from Santarém, Portugal. Travelling is one of her major passions in life. Since her EVS in Germany she is following the stories on youthreporter.eu. Her own story began seven years ago in Paris. It is a story about Finland, the moon, and – of course – a very special person.  It is "A Tale of Young Love":

Joana Sousa: "A Tale of Young Love"

Two writers share the forth place:

4th Place: Emilia Socha

Emilia is a 28 years old and is writing as user "Alhambra" on youthreporter.eu. She accomplished her EVS in Spain and is now living in Gleiwitz, Poland. She used the contest as a motivation to write a letter to her grandfather, who is the “Meister der kleinen und der großen Dinge” (The master of the small and of the big things):

Emilia Socha: „Der Meister der kleinen und der großen Dinge“

4th Place: Lilla P

Lilla is from the Hungarian capital city Budapest and is following the work of Hungarian organisations active in youth work and Erasmus+ projects. That’s how she found out about the contest. Her text "Swarming of Fireflies" is about an encounter that happened whilst her voluntary service in Italy. That’s where she met her special person, whose story she’s sharing with us. Writing for her is a personal and honest activity, and rather a tool for processing her experiences than a desire to be heard. The result is this striking text:

Lilla P: "Swarming of Fireflies"

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone who has participated in the contest! You can find all of the contest entries here:8. Erasmus+ Contest: „My Special Person – Our Story“