Prior to his current post as the secretary-general of the Finnish National Union of University Students, Juha Töyrylä has worked for many years in international affairs both in SYL and in HYY. Töyrylä’s rite of passage in international affairs back in 2009 was partly a matter of chance and partly a push by the Helsinki Student Union board negotiations. But with his position of responsibility came an interest in European educational policy, and from then on international affairs have been more or less everyday fare in Töyrylä’s work.

Although Juha Töyrylä has been very active in political affairs behind the scenes and as a lobbyist, the humanities are closer to his heart than the social sciences. He feels that the humanities studies offer a deeper understanding of different topics.

One of Juha Töyrylä's best memories from university has to do with the early summer of 2010. Töyrylä got to take part in a centuries-old academic tradition at the congregation as wreath-weaver, preparing the laurel accolades for the new graduates.

In the very near future, Juha Töyrylä will graduate with a master’s in comparative literature. His post as Secretary General of SYL (The National Union of University Students in Finland) is a fixed term one, after which he plans to focus on his studies again.