Hi, I’m Tom de Koning and the coming year I will be the portfolio holder Academic Development & Education and External Affairs at the Student Union for coming year. In 2014, I’m moved from a small town named Heino to Enschede to study Industrial Engineering and Management. Especially because of the down to earth and hard-working mentality I felt at this university made me decide to study here.
Over the past years, I’ve tried to get the most out of my student life. In my first year I decided to join the student association Audentis. Besides my study I came there to have fun with my club, fraternity and my housemates with whom I have a close bond. I’m always looking for opportunities to challenge myself to enrich myself. Therefore, I became active, from the beginning of my second year, at PIP Advice, a student consulting firm that provides advices to several organizations like municipalities, start-ups and already large established bigger firms. Being active besides my study gave my so much energy that I joint a part-time board at Integrand Twente. Therefore, I couldn’t go abroad for my minor, so for my bachelor thesis I went to Suriname to do a research at a local company.
Now, I put my master on a hold to participate in the board of the Student Union! The last years, I’ve took the most out of my student life and with the portfolio Academic Development and Education I hope to encourage others to do the same for making their student life unforgettable. I will build on the fundament that my predecessor Tijmen Elfrink, has built by improving existing initiatives with strong vision for the future. With the portfolio External Affairs, I hope to start collaborations where all students or associations at the UT can benefit from. The processes in this portfolio are optimized with finest details by my predecessor Stef Huttinga that brings me in the position of getting the most out of the portfolio. Besides these goals, I especially hope to enjoy my time of being in the board with the other board members and all the others I will meet in the coming year.
