Dear Mr de Vink,

‘It is not happy people who are thankful. It is thankful people who are happy.’ As true as this statement is I have to say I am both, happy and thankful for having the opportunity to study at Nyenrode Business University which would not have been possible without you. My name is Daniela Resch and I had the honor of receiving a scholarship from you, which has enabled me to come to Nyenrode.

I came here striving not only to fulfill my personal goals but also of having a positive impact on Nyenrode as such. After a bit more than one month on campus I wanted to give you an update about my projects and goals.

First of all, I was part of the organizing-team of the very first TEDxNyenrodeUniversity. The event in October was a great success and inspiration for current students, alumni, potential students and Nyenrode staff. While I was still doing my gap year in South America before coming to Nyenrode, I already worked together with the MSc23 students to make this event happen. It was an unforgettable experience for my (remote) project management skills as well as event management skills.
Next year I will take over the organization of the 2^nd TEDxNyenrodeUniversity and you are – of course – invited to join this event.

In addition, I revived Enactus Nyenrode, which is an organization that fosters social entrepreneurship projects supporting the surrounding community. We are right now in the concept phase of teaching yoga to elderly people in Breukelen’s retirement homes in order to enhance their mobility and enable them to have a more active lifestyle.

I am also working closely together with 60 Acres, Nyenrode’s accelerator, supporting them in organizing entrepreneurship-oriented events and building up the Nyenrode Entrepreneurship Society, a network of entrepreneurial students, alumni and mentors.

Regarding campus life and NCV, we are in the process of applications and I applied for Nyenrode United with the aim of integrating internationals and international IMBA students better among the group of Dutch students.

Last, and most important of all I have also come closer to my personal goal of founding a high school that teaches entrepreneurship. Thanks to so many amazing connections and recommendations of Nyenrode staff as well as alumni, I got in contact with a Dutch school which is doing exactly this already. Every day I get inspired and motivated to pursue my goals and to work hard for them.

As a Nyenrodian, I have experienced what true team spirit and supporting each other means, how to most effectively lead a team, how to negotiate successfully and how to stay true to myself even though the environment might not always appreciate it.

This is only the beginning of a valuable and indispensable one-year-journey that will take me to so many milestones that I want to accomplish. I am not only excited and enthusiastic, I am also highly motivated and determined to make the best out of this – way too short – period of time.

There are no words to possibly describe how thankful I am for this amazing opportunity of studying at Nyenrode. I am deeply grateful, as without your contribution all this would not have been possible for me. I would not be where I am right now and neither would I have the opportunity to grow exponentially, to follow my dreams and to – finally – change the world for the better.

Thank you, Mr de Vink.

All the best,

Daniela