In this edition, Deirdre brandwagt is interviewed by Josephine Verbeek-van Oene
Hi Deirdre, welcome to this edition of the CEStafette, it’s nice having you here!
You have been working at UT for a long time, can you tell me something about that?
I have been working at UT for about 14 years now. Before that, we lived in the west of the country, and I worked as an ICT project manager in education. We moved to Twente for my husband’s work. and I thought it would be very nice to work at the place where I enjoyed studying so much. I started as an educational coordinator, but I decided to become a study advisor because I liked the contact with students. I really enjoyed bringing my own experiences as a student into my work as a study advisor. Students like hearing your own story and they appreciate it when you can relate to what they are going through in student life. As a study advisor, you are mainly concerned with helping students through their studies in a pleasant way. After 12 years I was looking for another position within the UT, but I found it very important not to lose contact with students. Teaching is something that does not suit me very well, so I chose to work as a student counsellor. As a student counsellor, I am more concerned with the regulations surrounding studies. For example, if a student has fallen behind due to unforeseen circumstances, I can advise them about the regulations they can make use of.
What do you like best about working at UT?
I get a lot of satisfaction from the fact that I can sometimes really make a difference for students. As well as that, I have very nice colleagues with whom I have a warm relationship. People here appreciate you for who you are. Even when I said goodbye to technical medicine , I had a very nice farewell that I enjoyed with great pleasure and gratitude.
What would you like to do, if you continue working here for another five years?
I've only just started working as student counsellor and I still have so much to learn in my position, so that's what I want to focus on now. I've always let things come as they come, I think it's very important to have fun in what you do. Only when the pleasure wanes it is time to look further. I have very nice colleagues to work with, they really give me a lot of motivation and energy.
What do you like to do during your time off?
I love being outdoors, outdoor sports, and being on the water. We have a chalet in Terherne, Friesland, where we can sail on the Sneekermeer lake. We don't spend all our vacations there though, as long as the kids are still living at home, we want to show them the world and we often go abroad.
Is there something you have always wanted tot do, but that has still not happened?
This is a tricky question for me... I would like to go on an overseas sailing trip. The Caribbean seems very beautiful, the Mediterranean or even the Wadden Sea are very good options. I would love to one day land dry in a boat on the mudflats of the Wadden Sea
What makes you laugh the hardest at?
I don't have a specific something or someone I can laugh at, but I find it especially important to laugh with people. I find humour in life very important; it helps me to relax. I'm in a cooking club with some friends and we have a lot of fun together. I can really enjoy that.
Is there anything else you want to tell us about yourself that not many people know about you?
Haha, no I'm like an open book so I can't think of anything right now that people don't know about me.
Thank you so much for the nice conversation, Deirdre. I really enjoyed getting to know you!
