NSM Focus | ESV-chair Adinda van Doorn: “A year of a great deal of interaction, even among first-year students”

At the start of her committee year, Adinda van Doorn had planned on taking a few courses too. But it soon became apparent that she had no time for such things. Full of enthusiasm, the 22-year-old chair of the ESV study association and her board have gone all out to make it a great year for all members.

This academic year was dominated by Covid-19. What was that like for you and your board?
“When I applied for my committee year, I'd hoped that most things would be back to normal by September. But sadly, this wasn't the case. We then decided to set our sights on January. But unfortunately, this fell through as well. And even now, we still have to deal with all kinds of restrictions. The year didn’t turn out how I imagined it, but I look back on it with great pleasure. I don’t think we could have done better under these circumstances.”

Name some personal highlights.
“I have hugely enjoyed interacting with students and alumni, and the atmosphere within the committee. Our members tell us that they really appreciate everything we have done and organised this year. They realise that we have tried our best to make something of it despite the Covid-19 measures. It’s deeply gratifying; that’s why we do it.”

You were still able to organise quite a few meetings, weren't you?
“Certainly! We organised socials for different study years and specialisation-socials, where alumni talked about their experiences with the labour market. Several companies gave presentations and workshops, we enjoyed a wine and chocolate tasting where students could ask employers questions and the Management Business Fair and the Nijmegen Career event were on this year's schedule too, of course. These were very successful events that we enjoy hosting and organising with other study associations from the faculty. Despite the fact that almost all of these meetings were online, there was still a lot of interaction, even among first-year students. I’m really pleased with that.”

Have you learned many valuable lessons in the past year?
“An awful lot. Before I started as chair, I didn’t know what the key to leadership was. What I quickly learned was that involves a lot more than just making decisions and taking the lead. Perhaps the most important thing is to always keep a weather eye on how the committee members are doing; the association can only run well if things are running smoothly in the committee too. It was also very instructive seeing how different people work in different ways. It was a bit of a balancing act, but it was a lot of fun.”

Are you sad that your committee year is over?
“Yes, it is a bit upsetting. But it is good to pass on the torch, I would encourage anyone to take it on. It is so much fun and you learn so much too. That’s what being a member of a study association is anyway. You get to meet a lot of people - students, alumni and employers - who you can always turn to for study, graduation or career advice. The ESV has been around for almost 32 years - just imagine how big our network is. Good times and interesting meetings guaranteed!”

The ESV would like to get in touch with alumni who want to work closer with the ESV, introduce their company to students or work with us in some other way. Call, email or drop by the faculty! www.esvnijmegen.nl/contact