Hanan El Marroun was overwhelmed with positive reactions after she was appointed endowed professor of biological psychology at the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences last March. This was partly due to her appointment as professor, but also to the neighbourhood she grew up in: the Schilderswijk district of The Hague, she says in an interview with Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.
In the press release about her appointment, it was just a clause: Hanan El Marroun, from The Hague's Schilderswijk neighbourhood, appointed endowed professor of biological psychology. The Schilderswijk is one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the Netherlands. Unemployment is high, many people depend on benefits and the vast majority of people living there are of immigrant origin. "I thought it was important to mention the neighbourhood I grew up in in that message. That that would evoke so many emotions took me completely by surprise," she told Algemeen Dagblad.
Many people shared that they were proud of her achievements, this message even came from strangers. She received responses mainly from people with a Moroccan surname, they wrote things like: 'You have inspired me to continue studying, to not give up'."
Role model
The appointment as endowed professor makes El Marroun think more and more about something that played no role in her life for decades: what it means to be a role model. Shortly after her appointment, primary schools invited her en masse to come and tell something about her profession, something she is happy to make time for. "I talk about the fascinating world of the brain. But of course, in addition they see a woman with Moroccan roots who has achieved something. Hopefully that message will also stick: hard work can take you far, whatever your background."
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