Mona Greussing:

“I have the feeling that everything is open to me”

What drives young people, how do they look at the world? In his series "We're not like that!", Robert Schneider seeks to talk to young people. He recently met Mona Greussing.

The young woman sitting opposite me radiates joie de vivre and confidence. With her gray-green eyes, she observes me attentively. She is very quick-witted, uncomplicated and likes to talk. In the broadest Bregenzerwald dialect. In conversation, she calls her father "Däta". She asks if I can understand her anyway. "Sure," I reply. "I had quite a few aunts in the Bregenzerwald." Mona Greussing is currently still attending the Bezau business school and will graduate in the spring. She is not afraid of the Matura. It's just a lot of material that awaits her. "But I'll be fine," she laughs and pokes her fork into the plum tart with whipped cream with relish.

Robert Schneider: Tell me a bit about your background. Where did you grow up? What do dad and mom do? 
Mona Greussing: I come from Bizau, a small, hidden village where it's beautiful. Of course, everyone there knows everyone else, which I have never found unpleasant. My parents also grew up in Bizau, so I'm part of a really big family. My older sister and I spent a lot of time with grandma. It was always very important to my parents that we were embedded in this community of relatives. My "Däta" is the mayor of Bizau, and my mother works as a secretary at the meat producer Broger, also in Bizau.

Does that mean you spent a lot of time outdoors? 
Yes. I hated those hikes. Always the same paths. It was either too hot or too cold. It's only today that I'm learning to appreciate when you're not just sitting in front of a screen...

What did you play as children? 
"Don't play Ludo." With my grandma.

I hated those walks. Only today have I learned to appreciate when you're not just sitting in front of a screen...

Mona Greussing

And probably fibbed for all you were worth? 
Not at all! I just won most of the time. Maybe she let me win and I didn't realize it.

When did you get a cell phone for the first time? 
I think when I was eleven. To be fair, because my sister already had one and my parents wanted to know where I was.

Together with your colleague Elena Feurstein, you won first place in the public presentation of diploma theses at the BWS. Congratulations! What was the thesis about? 
It's called "Back to nature - how can medicinal herbs be used today?" We even developed a health-promoting product that you can drink in sips...

In my day, it was called herbal schnapps, which got you drunk. 
(She laughs) Shh! But don't tell anyone... No, no, we were already serious.

Do you already know what you want to study? 
No. First of all, I'd like to go to work for a year because I just want to get to know working life. There are also so many study options that I'm often at a bit of a loss as to what I really want to study. One thing is definitely clear: I want to be able to shape my own working day and design projects independently. I am very freedom-loving.

Keyword ChatGPT. Did you make extensive use of it in your pre-scientific work? 
Yes and no. I often used it to change certain formulations as a kind of suggestion tool. But what ChatGPT certainly can't do is recreate your individual thought processes. It simply can't do that. It is a good tool. But nothing more. At least not yet.

Are you a politically minded person? 
I would say so. I'm very active in the student council at our school, as well as in the student union, which is committed to improving the school system. For example, I'm really proud that we were able to get free menstrual products for our students at our school. People might smile at that, but it was a real sense of achievement for me to implement it and to see that it works.

Are you a climate activist? Do you stick? 
Not at the moment, but I think we urgently need to do something about climate change. I just don't think that sticking things on the street is the right way, although I think it's really cool and courageous what these people are doing.

How else are they supposed to generate attention? After all, it's non-violent resistance. I'm thinking of my generation, of the RAF in Germany. They called for open violence. 
It just becomes counterproductive if more indignation and anger are generated instead of understanding. I believe that the social networks, which are so huge today, should be utilized much more.

Has correct gendering changed the way boys and girls interact at your school? 
I think so.

So whistling after a girl is a no-go? 
Of course, there is still an attitude that we are the masters of creation. That often has to do with the way we were brought up at home. Nevertheless, I have the feeling that acceptance has become much more open, especially when it comes to sexual orientation, including on social media. And that is also important and good.

You brought me an object that means a lot to you. Is it an e-book? 
Yes, a Kindle. I've had it for ages. I used to read a lot as a child. My mom said she was tired of moving all my books back and forth. So I got an e-book. I've had it for ten or twelve years now, and it's like a treasure trove of memories because all the books are stored on it. It only crashed once. Everything was gone. That was terrible. Fortunately, it could be repaired.

How do you feel about the future? 
Motivated, I would say. I have the feeling that everything will be open to me after my A-levels and I'm so excited about that. It's a great feeling!