The connectors
Irene de Heer
Since September 2021, I have been part of our Nordic Campus Connect team.
My passion lies in designing and creating. There's plenty of room for this within our Campus team! Visualizing is also how I inspire our students and partners, in a short and powerful way. A picture is worth a thousand words!
As the Campus Connect team, we're in training at IMA to develop concepts for our Nordic Campus. The first concept we're working on is the Vitality Trail.
In September 2022, I had the privilege of an inspirational trip to Denmark. There, I saw how the Danes approach vitality, sustainability, inclusion, and urban sports, among other things. Now we're applying this to our Nordic Campus (Leeuwarden) and specifically to the Vitality Trail.
A wonderful start for more great concepts on our Nordic Campus!
Giso Boelens
Married to Mariëlle and proud father of three children. My passion lies in sports.
"Movement + Life = Experience!"
I get a special sense of happiness from movement. The mental aspect of individual sports, where you can push yourself to the limit to achieve a performance or simply de-stress. The element of working together, winning together, losing together in a team sport. I find these team processes incredibly instructive and, in many cases, a metaphor for "real" life. Where there's shared passion, these processes are intense and necessary to move forward together. I'm happy to contribute to such team processes.
In recent years, I've been responsible for various sports centers and have also organized sports events in coordination roles. At these institutions, the human touch has always played a crucial role, both within the team and in the services provided. Making a difference by combining personal attention with professional service. I've always been deeply interested in people's motivations and how these relate to needs and choices.
Since September 2022, I've been part of the Nordic Campus Connect team, researching the needs of and serving our students and other campus visitors. We do this by offering programs with, for, and by students on and around the campuses, and by developing new concepts. I hope to contribute to vibrant and exciting Nordic Campus locations in the coming years.
MARTINE DRIESSEN
I've worked at NHL Stenden for years, holding various positions. The common thread throughout these roles has been connecting with people and organizing various events.
I brought this experience with me to my current position at Nordic Campus Connect in September 2021. My role within the team is to supervise our interns. Together with them, we develop a monthly program for the Nordic Campus locations. In Leeuwarden, we work from our "living room" at BRÛZE to create the best events in sports, arts & culture, (student) well-being, and fun! Culture and the seasons are clearly visible in these events! We seek and strengthen connections with our community: SMEs, the municipality, welfare organizations, and the residents of our campus locations.
Besides the learning process for the students, I find the social aspect, networking, and meeting people very important. With the community, but also with each other. We learn by doing. We evaluate together and improve the program and events for the future.
Besides giving the interns a project to complete for their studies, I also want to give them an unforgettable and vibrant memory! Creating memories at Nordic Campus!
MANDY HOLWERDA
Hospitality is my passion!
Welcoming guests to our café 'BRÛZE' and seeing them leave with a smile is what I love most.
My responsibilities include coordinating the café, creating a pleasant and vibrant place for students, local residents, and anyone who fancies a cup of coffee or wants to socialize; I'm always up for a chat!
Networking with visitors while you pour their beer has never been easier! I always find it interesting to discover what everyone is working on and often see opportunities for collaboration.
With my background in communications, I'm also involved in the positioning of both Nordic Campus Connect and our living room, BRÛZE. This also gives me a lot of energy!
Anything is possible at BRÛZE, as long as everyone is welcome! Will we see you soon?