As a swimmer, I was competing at the highest level when still in high school. This meant getting up at five o’clock to make sure I was in the water by six, which gave me two hours of training before school started at nine. After another session from six to eight in the evening, I would have to focus on my schoolwork. I was forced to manage my time efficiently. To this day, I have a habit of doing things as soon as I get the chance.
An academic instead of a physical challenge
A to-do-list that is unnecessarily long detracts from your focus. I like to concentrate when I am doing important things and try to avoid having several things on my hands at once. I managed to become the Dutch champion four times and set one Dutch national record, but in the end I did not think I would ever make it to the Olympics, let alone earn a living this way. Instead of challenging myself physically, I decided to do so academically. Therefore, I chose the double degree Economics and Business Economics, and Law. The fact that Erasmus School of Economics and Erasmus School of Law were the only ones that offered this opportunity, made me choose Rotterdam.
A good example
I have been working as a teaching assistant for several years now and in 2020/2021 I was the head teaching assistant for Finance I. In that role I was responsible for hiring and managing other student assistants. On top of that I had the opportunity to help the professor to give the course a make over, which saw us offering more cases that involved data analysis for example. We also created increased interactivity through the addition of a trading game that enabled students to practice what they learned. This was developed in conjunction with B&R Beurs, the student investment society. The tutor academy that trains successful students to teach at Erasmus School of Economics is unique. These students usually get very good reviews for their classes. I think it would be great if other schools could follow this example.
Opportunities for online classes
As a student member of the University Council I have promoted this idea, but it has not gained traction yet. I have also proposed that courses that have the same content year after year could be taught online. Students will be pleased that they can follow the course whenever it suits them and it frees up time to organise additional contact hours. A subject like History of Law (the clue is in the name) does not change very much. At Erasmus School of Economics we have some experience with this through MOOCs for econometricians and within Financial Economics, but we could consider this for Mathematics I as well for example. Many students would probably benefit from even more personal attention and offering the theory online frees up room to offer such tutorial sessions. After the online classes during the pandemic we already have the equipment in place, so let’s use it.
'The experience taught me how people’s achievements improve if they are given freedom and responsibility'
For years I have had my own company that designed and developed escape rooms. During my study I also worked for estate agent Savills and real estate fund creator Annexum. The experience of working in a bigger company taught me how group dynamics work and how people’s achievements improve if they are given an appropriate amount of freedom and responsibility. The latter is a lesson I have kept in mind ever since. Whether it was as head teaching assistant, as treasurer of Dutch SE (an organisation that wants to grow entrepreneurship among students in the Netherlands) or in my recent role at KLM. Sometimes things go wrong, but this often means that you, as a manager, have not explained the assignment properly.
I always try to think in terms of opportunities. As teaching assistant, I was involved in the International Economics course where US ambassador Pete Hoekstra was a guest speaker. It so happened that the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, organised by the US, was going to be in the Netherlands that year so I managed to obtain tickets for some Dutch student entrepreneurs as delegates.
A great starting point
In the final year of my study a professor approached me with a request from KLM to work with them on a new approach to rostering. I was asked to select and manage six students that could work with the company on an innovative and optimal schedule for all KLM operational ground workers. We came up with a working algorithm that takes into account people’s preferences such as only working at night or no Wednesday afternoons. We added a website with a marketplace where employees can exchange shifts. All our team members enjoyed a great amount of freedom. We had an online plenary meeting once a week with plenty of opportunities for contact in between if necessary. For the students it was a great way to test their abilities in the real world and KLM sees it as the starting point for more projects with Erasmus School of Economics.
'It was surprising to see how quickly men and women with very diverse backgrounds became a group'
In 2019 I was accepted at Defensity College, which offers part-time jobs in the army for students with an academic ground. Many participants feel the need to do something for their country by deploying the skills they have acquired during their study. It was surprising to see how quickly men and women with very diverse backgrounds became a group. With hindsight I think this is because we were submerged in an environment that was completely different from anything we had ever experienced. You have to listen, adapt and work as a team, but also to keep thinking independently even under pressure. At Defensity College students are given the opportunity to follow a broad leadership programme while also obtaining military skills. In addition, they can be seconded to a part of the army that matches their interests. The possibilities are almost unlimited, ranging from robotics to business management and trauma surgery. I know people in the programme who are sent to Australia, Japan and China. Next year I hope to start working a few days a week at the Dutch embassy in Copenhagen.
I have recently obtained my Master Financial Economics and will graduate with a Master Indirect Tax Law this year. It is great to have been awarded a VSB scholarship to study Data Science in Copenhagen. Afterwards, I hope to continue my work as an entrepreneur and stay in the Dutch army as a reserve officer, two activities that will give me the chance to contribute to society in a positive way.