The 37th Board of Faculty Association SHARE

Ava Hoogenboom, President of the 37th Board: 

Starting a Board year was by far one of the best decisions I have ever made. I built up a network, learned about working towards and setting goals and I learned a lot about leadership and management. But most of all, I gained friends for life and I was stimulated to seize every opportunity and to make the most out of all situations. A Board year is unpredictable and thus brings about lessons and experiences you did not know you needed. I have enjoyed myself tremendously and would highly recommend it to everyone who has the chance to take on the challenge of a Board year! 

Marit Slootweg, Secretary of the 37th Board: 

Doing a Board year at SHARE was a choice which felt natural after two amazing years of being part of a committee. However, when I became a SHARE member, I never expected myself to make this decision. My Board year challenged me to be convinced of my personal opinion. I enjoyed debating at high school, but never really took the time to elaborate my own opinion on a subject. This changed for me during the many deliberations in our year. Furthermore, this year challenged me to get out of my comfort zone. During a Board year, almost every moment is unique and something I hadn’t done before. 

I couldn’t agree more with the former Board members who convinced me to apply for a position. It truly has been the best year of my life so far and the personal development I went through has been something I benefit from every day at work and during my internship! 

Geert van Gils, Treasurer & Vice President of the 37th Board: 

Before my Board year, one of my qualities was postponing things and being not a planner at all. Among other things, my Board year gave me the insight that planning can help you a lot to get a better overview of your to–do’s. This is why I started using my agenda more frequently for other things as well, than just the highly prioritized appointments. I also created a new mentality during my Board year, which says: If you can do a task in a few minutes, just do it and avoid procrastinating. This avoids having many ‘tiny’ tasks on your to–do list, and therewithal have less on your mind. 

Jolijn Grimbergen, Manager of Education of the 37th Board: 

I have changed in multiple ways during my Board year. I remember stressing a lot about exams and deadlines before I started my Board year, and during my Board year I had so many things to do that I did not stress anymore about these things, which helped me a lot. Furthermore, I learned how to present myself in meetings with the ESHPM Board and teachers. This made me feel more confident in meetings in general and I still benefit from that every day. I also learned what it is like to work in a team for a long period of time, which is not always easy, but very helpful for the work field as well. 

Indira Hoek, Manager of Communications of the 37th Board: 

During a Board year you will be faced with a lot of difficult issues, choices and opportunities.  

At the beginning of the year, people could have described me as an exclamation mark (!). This meant that I often responded enthusiastically, but did not always consciously think about the different aspects of the situation or the ideas. Looking back on this year I have changed a lot and the description “exclamation mark” doesn’t quite suit me anymore in that way! I learned to look at a situation from different views, but gladly I didn’t lose my enthusiasm 😉 

I look back on this time with such a warm feeling and a smile, with zero sense of regret. It’s been a year for me where I’ve become best friends with all the other Board members, and it feels like a big family now.  

Jelle Klinkhamer, Manager of External Relations of the 37th Board: 

A Board year is filled with new challenges, developing new skills and establishing a network. When I started with my Board year, I knew I would experience many new things, but I wouldn’t have expected the rollercoaster it has been. The number of opportunities that are given to you during a Board year are tremendous and if there is one thing, I’ve learned it’s that you should grab as many opportunities as you can. It goes without saying that one should take the most out of their Board year, however, you should challenge yourself to an extent that you know how much you can have on your plate. So, my advice would be to seize every opportunity that you get. Even when you are in doubt, don’t let those opportunities slip, because your capabilities are much greater than you might think of yourself.