I’m incredibly curious and broadly interested. During an open day, I attended a trial lecture by Bart van Heerikhuizen and was immediately sold. The atmosphere in the room and the other interested students really spoke to me.  

That day felt like a preview of the whole Bachelor’s programme: interesting lectures, group discussions full of debate, and social activities. The friends I made that day are still some of my best friends today. 

Passion for sustainability

After completing my bachelor’s degree in Sociology, I pursued a Master’s in Business Administration at the University of Amsterdam, because I wanted to dive deeper into sustainability. I had to adjust to the large differences compared to sociology: many courses were suddenly focused on “one truth” with multiple-choice exams.  

Still, I learned a lot from the combination of sociology and Business Administration, which helped me understand where I wanted to develop further and what kind of job would suit me. 

Working on impact at bol

After my master’s, I started a traineeship at OchtendMensen, where I worked on assignments in both the public and private sectors. One of those assignments was setting up a volunteer program for bol (now called Bollebozen).  

I enjoyed it so much that I extended my assignment multiple times and stayed on after my traineeship. 

Now, I work as an Environmental Impact Project Manager in bol’s ESG team. ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance. I map out the environmental impact of their product range and work with various teams to create plans to improve CO₂ emissions and biodiversity, for example. 

The value of sociology in my work

Although I now work in the commercial sector, my background in sociology still helps me in my daily work. my background in sociology still helps me in my daily work. I’ve learned to critically question assumptions and systems, empathise with others, consider multiple perspectives, and make connections.