Finland 2022-2023

Hi!

I’m Siiri Leinonen, I’m 18 years old, and I’m from Paltamo, a small town near Vaala. My family includes my parents, an older brother and two younger sisters.

My interests include playing the guitar, playing games, like Red Dead Redemption 2 at the moment, and everything culture and travel related. I’m also quite a social person once I feel comfortable. Am also a capricorn.

I live in an apartment here in Vaala, that I usually share with my large-ish bunny, Leevi. I also have my precious, soon-to-be- 14 year old spaniel back home. My family also has a cat and some chickens.

I got interested in this project because sustainability and a clean environment are some of my values, and because international collaborations offer so many interesting opportunities.

Hi!

I’m Siiri Kyröläinen, a  17-year-old girl from Finland. I live alone here in Vaala and my mom, dad and 4 brothers live in Ii near Oulu. I’m studying my second year at Vaala Upper Secondary School.

I’m very social and I like to get to know new people! In my free time I spend a lot of time with my friends and I also travel to see my family at most weekends.

Can’t wait to meet you all <3

Hi, I am Laura Haataja and I’m 17 years old. I am from Paltamo but I go to Vaala upper secondary school in Vaala. I have my own apartment where I live with my bunny Väinö.

I have four sisters; three of my sisters live on their own and my little sister still lives at home. I am really close with my family and we see each other every weekend.

I have a favorite horse named Bessi. She’s really energetic and kind. Riding and taking care of horses has been my main hobby for the past 8 years.

Heya!

My name is Veikka Konttinen, and I’m 17 years old. I live with my parents in the eastern side of Vaala in a small village called Liminpuro. I study in Vaala upper secondary school.

Nature has always been close to my heart since I live in the countryside close to nature. That might be why my favorite subjects in school are biology and geography.

I spent my free time doing outdoor sports like jogging in summer time and skiing in winter time. I also like to wander in the nearby forests. Sometimes I hunt a bit with my dad. One of the best things I know is to sit by the campfire in the dusk which is so atmospheric.

My biggest interest are older cars from the 90’s and 80’s. Especially “euro cars” like Mercedes, Saabs and Audis. Right now I’m working on a 1990s Mazda 323 Sedan which I’m going to sell away and buy a Saab 9-5 for a daily drive. I also maintain my family’s vehicles like cars and snowmobiles.

Small talk isn’t my strongest skill, but I really like to talk with new people to get to know them better.

Our home is right next to Lake Oulujärvi which is the fifth largest lake in Finland. It’s water condition is good and the fish population is healthy but it needs observation to keep it like that. So, I think that taking care of our waters now and in the future is very important.

Hi!

My name is Teemu Lämsä, I’m 17 years old and I live in Vaala. I live with my mother and one older brother. We also have two dogs, one is called Unski and the other one is called Roihu. We live at the center of Vaala in a single family house.

I’m in the second grade in Vaala upper Secondary school. In my free time I like to play every kind of sport. I go to the gym but ice hockey is my favorite sport of all. I’m very social, I get along with everybody and I like to meet new people. I have a good sense of humor and I love dark humor.

Hi! My name is Sylvia Karppinen and I’m a 17 year-old girl from Finland. I live on my own at Vaala with my pet chinchilla and my parents live in Paltamo with our two dogs. I am the youngest of four siblings, my sisters are 28 and 24 years old and my brother is 19 years old. I go to upper secondary school and I’m in the second grade.

In my free time I like to watch netflix and of course spend time with my friends and family. I also like going for a walk in the evenings and listening to my favorite music at the same time. I like to travel and would like to see more different countries and people. I’m not very good at English but I will try my best 🙂

Hi!

My name is Raakel and I’m 17 years old. I live 7 kilometers from Vaala and our home is located by the river called Oulujoki. I live with my mom, dad and a little sister. Two of my older sisters have already moved out. We also have a dog and a cat.

I go to upper secondary school and I’m in the second grade. In my free time I like to do versatile sports, for instance dancing, going to gym and jogging with our dog. One of my favorites is to go rowing in our river while listening some podcasts. Besides sports, I work as a cleaner in our gym. I’m usually quite busy in my free time, but I still take time to see my friends.

I’m really interested in travelling. I love to explore new places and meet people from different backgrounds. I hope that I have better chances to travel after graduation. I have already planned out many places I must visit during my gap year.

I’m super excited and looking forward to our trip! <3

Hello there!

My name is Oskari Maaninka and I am 17 years old. I live in Pelso, which is a small village near Vaala. I have one younger sister and two older siblings, who have already moved out. We have a cow farm, which has over 100 animals altogether. We also have two dogs living inside our home and four cats, who live in the cowhouse.

I’m an average nerd. I like watching movies and shows. I also play video games and like music. I play the guitar, but I’m not that good at it though. I hang out with my friends and drive with a moped quite often too.

This year’s theme is important, but I’m not really an expert at it, because I live in the middle of a GODDAMN SWAMP. I’m also interested in meeting new people.

Hello there!

My name is Nuutti Karhu, and I’m 17 years old. I live with my parents, and our dog. I have two siblings, a brother and a sister, but both of them have already moved out. I study in the Vaala upper secondary school, and I like mathematical subjects, mostly maths and physics.

In my spare time I like to play videogames and hang out with my friends. I like motorcycling in the summer, and snowmobiling and snowboarding in the winter. I also like to service my vehicles myself. I’m also into music, and like to play a keyboard.

Vaala is located on the coast of Lake Oulujärvi. Despite that, I’m not an expert in natural biology, let alone underwater biology. I can recognize a few species of fish though. Still, I’m eager to learn new things about the subject. I also look forward to meeting the participants from other countries.

Hi, my name is Moona Meuronen. I’m 17 years old, and I’ll move to my own apartment very soon. I go to Vaala upper secondary school, and I have two siblings who are both younger than me; Julia, 15 years old and Essi 14. We have an old, energetic and kind dog named Pörri!

If you know any good movies or series, I would love to hear your recommendations! My favorite movie genres are thriller, fantasy and mystery. I also enjoy listening to music, going to museums, biking and archery.

I’m quiet in big groups and a little bit socially awkward. My friends say that I laugh a lot and that I’m a good listener and care about other people. I’m also a huge cat person, and I love to draw, even though I’m sometimes too lazy to do that.

I decided to take part in this project because I want to challenge myself to speak more English with other people.

Hi!

My name is Konsta Karhu and I am 16 years old. I’m from Vaala. I live really close to the lake shore. In my free time I spend time with my friends and family and I go for a ride. I exercise sometimes but not regularly. I work at our local gas station ABC almost every weekend. My family includes mom, dad, two brothers and one sister.

I applied for the project because I want to travel around the world and visit as many different countries as possible. I also want to get to know different cultures and meet new people. I look forward to new and fancy experiences from the upcoming trip and I want to learn new things.

See you!  Konsta

Hi!

My name is Hanna Koistinen and I’m 17 years old. I’m from Utajärvi but I moved to Vaala because I started my studies in Vaala upper secondary school. I have my own apartment. To my family belong mom, dad, an older sister and six cats. Our cats’ names are Nakke, Panu, Ruusu, Pirre, Lusmu and Tinja. A funny fact; Nakke is over 21 years old :O

I am very shy and introvert. I am social when I know most of the people in the group.

In my free time I like to play video games, especially Overwatch. I also enjoy snowmobiling and fishing. I like to spend time with my friends. I consume a lot of music, particularly rap and rock. I also like to watch and draw anime.