Where are they now? - a Wittenborg Alumni Profile in Apeldoorn

Over the past 25 years Wittenborg has grown from a Dutch Real Estate HBO in Deventer to an International Business School in Apeldoorn. Many students came and went. What has happened to them? Where are they now?

Elsemieke Meulenbrugge was following an MBO (College of Further Education) study, when her interest in the Construction Field was formed during her placement at a Real Estate company in the region. When she completed her College diploma, she signed up for Wittenborg’s Bachelor in Real Estate Management (HBO Vastgoed en Makelaardij).

During her time at Wittenborg the school was undergoing a lot of changes. The focus turned from Dutch taught HBO to International Business Administration degrees; English taught modules started and the first international students arrived. “The first year went relatively quickly and I learned a lot. The change from a Dutch focused school to a completely international business school was not without ups and downs and hiccups, and for Dutch students it became a challenging environment. Luckily, things worked out just fine during my second year and by that time Wittenborg had really established itself as a more international school. Even though the ‘old Wittenborg atmosphere’ I was used to was gone, the overall effect was very positive.” During that time Wittenborg developed from a small local school to an institute in which classes would often be comprised of 10 or even more nationalities studying and learning together. With the changes a profesionalisation and systemization was introduced, developments that continue to this day..

During her studies, Elsemieke also combined her studies with working at a Real Estate company in the Apeldoorn region. After her graduation in 2009 she started her career as an estate agent in the field of new property development in Apeldoorn. Unfortunately, as is widely known, the housing market in Europe has all but collapsed in recent years and Elsemieke decided to try her luck elsewhere: “Because I still wanted to stay in contact with Real Estate, I started working as a secretary for a Construction Consultancy Firm in Zwolle. It soon turned out I was missing some commercial aspects, which is why I made another switch from secretary to Consultant for a job agency in Apeldoorn again. I work here in Apeldoorn fulltime now, as an employment consultant for a work agency, and enjoy it very much.”

When questioned on what her fondest memory of Wittenborg is, Elsmieke says: “My graduation! All graduates were dressed up in togas and received a personal speech, which was really nice. Also, the ceremony took place in the Synagogue in Deventer, which created a beautiful atmosphere.”