Wingspan Conversations puts the spotlight on the people who keep EUROAVIA flying. In this edition, we sit down with Elif Deniz Baran, our wonderful DIB officer, to hear her story : from how it all started for her in the organisation to what she hopes lies ahead. Read on to discover the woman behind the role.
Deniz is currently in her third year of a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering at Izmir University of Economics, hailing from İzmir, Türkiye.
Joining EUROAVIA and First International Experiences
Deniz’s EUROAVIA story began in her very first month of university, when she joined the Space and Aviation Technologies Club. The moment she heard PAS İzmir, a part of this the club would be organising a symposium, something clicked.
“I was really excited about the opportunity to be part of such a team and contribute to an event. Thankfully, I decided to take the opportunity, and that was how my EUROAVIA journey began.”
Her first International Event as a participant was the Hypersonics Symposium in Stuttgart, Germany – the beginning, as she puts it, of her international journey within EUROAVIA. Meeting members from different Local Groups and standing inside an international event for the first time pushed her to get more involved. Right after the symposium, encouraged by her friend Umut, she joined the Communication Working Group, Press Subunit (now it is Press Working Group) , a step she now looks back on as a turning point.
Memories and the EUROAVIA Spirit
Her happiest EUROAVIA memory is from Patras: informal evening city tours during the Congress in Patras, wandering around with Anthimos, İlayda, and Özgür.
There’s a funny memory from the same trip, too – one that has clearly earned its place in Deniz’s memories. Anthimos once took her student ID to a ticket counter and tried, at length, to convince a skeptical ticket seller her genuinely exists, purely so Deniz could get a discounted ticket. (“I swear, there really is a university from İzmir ; this girl is a student there.”) Persistence paid off.
“It was truly special for me to see how people from different cultures could get along so well, have so much fun, and even come up with inside jokes- all after knowing each other for just a few days. I sobbed uncontrollably when I left because I knew I would miss my friends so much.”
To Deniz, this is what EUROAVIA Spirit is really made of.
“For me, EUROAVIA Spirit is late night talks after an IE and making lifelong friendships that make you nostalgic every time you have to say goodbye to each other. It is the long conversations held after events which build the friendships that last a lifetime.”
It was also at that same – Congress that Deniz first fell for the idea of becoming a part of international board one day. Watching the sheer effort behind organizing a congress left a mark: “I want to do this one day,” she remembers thinking. Taking part in the EUROAVIA Shadows programme afterwards, and getting a closer look at the responsibilities of the International Board, only deepened that pull. With encouragement from the IB, she decided to take the leap.
Becoming DIB Officer
As DIB Officer, Deniz is focused on something that sounds simple but rarely is: healthy communication, and making sure every member feels equally seen, heard, and given room to contribute.
“I would also like to work towards changing the perception of the IB as being ‘unapproachable.’ I believe that the IB should be a body that members feel comfortable reaching out to, communicating with, and working alongside.”
She’s equally invested in flattening perceived hierarchies within the association, reinforcing that no member, and no Local Group, matters more than another.
“At the end of the day, we are one of the oldest student associations in Europe, and our strength comes from being united. I would like to contribute to building a more open, inclusive, and connected EUROAVIA where we communicate more closely, support one another, and grow stronger together.”
On the project side, Deniz and her fellow DIB candidates are splitting their focus between strengthening what already exists and building a few new things from scratch. Among the new initiatives is Masters Day, designed to let undergraduate students – Deniz included- seek guidance from more experienced people as they map out their futures, alongside Alumni Talks, aimed at tightening the bond between EUROAVIA and its alumni network. A new Working Group is also in the works, though Deniz is keeping the details under wraps for now.
Established projects from the association’s five-year plan are moving forward as well: the Technical Committee.
She is also proud to share that EUROAVIA will be sending representatives from Press WG and Social Media WG to two conferences this year: Paris Air Show and Airspace World.
Looking Ahead
Between aerospace and her long-standing love of cars, Deniz is candid about where her heart leans.
“I have had a passion for cars since childhood, so I would like to focus on that aspect. The training we receive- particularly regarding aerodynamics and design- lays an excellent foundation for high-speed vehicles. That is why I would love to work in a field involving race cars, engines, and trains.”
Wherever that path takes her, it’s clear the EUROAVIA Spirit, and the friendships built along the way, will be coming with her.