Katja Rajala has been chosen as the alumna of the Year
Rajala graduated from the University of Vaasa in 2007 with a Master's degree in Social and Health Administration. Her minor was public law.
– Studying at the University of Vaasa was easy to combine with work and family life. I was joined by other adult students. We were all united by our desire to do well and progress quickly. In the theoretical discussions, we were able to combine our experiences from working life, which added depth to the content. Studying as an adult was a rewarding experience of being thrown into a different world for a while. Of course, we also certainly have the most beautiful campus in Finland!
An entrepreneur's career
Rajala, originally from Kauhava, spent her childhood and youth in Seinäjoki. Entrepreneurship brought her to Vaasa in 1994. And she has stayed on that path - this year marks 30 years of entrepreneurship. For most of that time, Rajala has been an employer-entrepreneur. She has been an entrepreneur in trade, education export, social services and early childhood education.
– Managing business and people, taking entrepreneurial risks, describes my career.
After recent acquisitions, Rajala sold off her private daycare businesses and became a sole proprietor.
– I do corporate and individual coaching in strategic management and leadership development. I do these to the extent that I can fit them in between my other tasks.
Alongside entrepreneurship, Rajala has also given her time to community work for about 15 years.
– Mentoring, board work and activities that contribute to the development of entrepreneurship and the business environment are my passion. I am passionate about issues and situations that can foster collaboration and work with a solution-oriented, developmental approach. My everyday life is currently made up of many different roles. I am also involved in local and regional politics in council positions. These give me a good touch with the challenges our society is facing at the moment. Being the Chair of the Women Entrepreneurs of Finland provides an interesting, national perspective on the business world.
Everything is possible to learn
Rajala remembers her student days with fondness.
– At university, I learned and realised that everything can be learned if you have the interest and desire to challenge yourself. What I remember most from my studies in public law is the importance of argumentation as a small but instructive detail. I have remembered it on various occasions since then.
Rajala has felt that she has benefited a great deal from her studies in public administration when working as an entrepreneur or as a decision-maker.
– It is important to understand the operational logic of the different actors, as the role of municipalities is increasingly focused on creating a kind of platform for businesses. The University of Vaasa has an excellent record of cooperation with the business community. I am proud of this when I promote our region in different contexts.
Alumni of the Year
– I am truly humbled and very grateful for this recognition. Sharing knowledge, working together and promoting common causes have been important to me. To be an Alumna of the Year gives me one more perspective to promote our great university and our welcoming city.
To the students, she sends her greetings to be curious. Things that seem insignificant now can be very useful in the future.
– It is a long career, and you never know where you will be able to put what you have learned to good use. In a rapidly changing and unpredictable environment, it is even more important to see the bigger picture and make the links between things. Learning and encounters take place largely on different platforms, but collaboration and interaction skills are often the key to progress and success in life. A good reason to physically come to campus.
The Alumni of the Year of the University of Vaasa are chosen by the Vaasa University Society. The honorary title is given to alumni who have used the capabilities they have acquired at the university in a positive way and who have increased the interaction between the university, the society, and the economy and inspired students and other alumni.
Previous Alumni of the Year include Jarno Syrjälä, Tiina Helenius, Team Jakamo, Eeva Kalli, Samuli Manninen, Anne Korkiakoski, Sari Essayah and Kari Leppilahti.
