Malena Thren

Third Level Student Organiser

Malena, originally from Germany, came to Ireland for her undergraduate degree in environmental science at NUI Galway. She has been volunteering from a young age in youth projects and continued her engagement as class rep in the student’s union, Galway 2020 and on multiple society committees. In her second year of college she was elected as chairperson of the sustainability working group at NUIG and during her term let online meetings and competitions centered around nature. In summer 2021 she won the student sustainability award during which she completed an internship with CUSP, the sustainability group on campus, where she gained insight into university processes to engage students in energy saving initiatives, which continued throughout 2022. Now successfully elected as environmental officer of the Student’s Union for the incoming year, Malena will focus her efforts on bringing greater environmental awareness and appreciation to students on campus and connect them to other volunteer sustainability opportunities in Galway.