By Laura van der Laan
On Behalf of the 10 Year Anniversary Team
The sun was warm and gentle, as people swarmed and buzzed around the terraces of Middelburg, and bikers maneuvered themselves around groups of people sauntering on the sidewalks. It was Tuesday, August 31st of 2004, and Her Majesty Queen Beatrix was to arrive, along with her son and his wife Maxima. The visit of the royal family created intense excitement for the old capital city of Zeeland, but Middelburg had even more reasons to celebrate. For on August 31st, Middelburg and the accompanied Queen would raise the flag of a new institution, later to be known as University College Roosevelt, one that would change and liven the entire atmosphere of the small city with energetic and “gezellige” students inspired to follow their diverse interests and passions.
Founder Hans Adriaansens’ vision for UCR quickly propelled the university to the top. Adriaansens believed in a university which encompassed valuable teaching and would inspire students to reach their full potential: “We do not want excellent students at RA, we are looking for a mode of teaching which lets students excel.” While UCR attracted highly ambitious students, it most importantly stressed the value of passion, that of teacher-student relationships and a strong community feeling thus creating an environment in which students developed an open mind, questioned and reflected, formed strong opinions, and gained confidence.
Now, in a few months, University College Roosevelt will once again celebrate a great milestone: its 10-year anniversary! Students have planned a celebratory Gala, 10 Year of Talent Performances, and an entire week dedicated to commemorating UCR’s achievements and its impact on the lives of its many students.
Graduates have continued on from their time at UCR to accomplish incredible feats and many look back at their time at UCR with fondness.
Stephanie Rosello, Class of 2007, stated: “I am currently studying at the University of Chicago, where I am pursuing a graduate law degree (LL.M.). Although I studied law in Belgium for 4 years before attending the LLM, I must honestly say that it was RA that trained me and prepared me the most to the American teaching and studying method. Please, convey my gratitude to Dean Adriaansens for this”. Also from the Class of 2007, Jannie Wijma reported that she had finished medical school and was now working in the Tjongerschans hospital in Heerenveen at the surgery department: “My plans are to go to South Africa in two years from now, as soon as I finish this new education.” Lousia Ververs from the Class of 2009 stated: “Currently I’m studying Atmospheric & Climate Science at the ETH Zürich in Switzerland and I’m writing my master’s thesis (working with/for the Swiss Olympic Sailing Team to analyze the weather patterns for the sailing races in Weymouth Bay & Portland Harbour, for the Olympic Games).”
According to alumna Denise Nijhuis, “the opportunity for individual research” available in UCR’s undergraduate research program, “made me what I am today.” She continues, “Now I am doing a PHD in the same topic; it opened a lot of doors for me.” Furthermore, alumna Maan Leo agreed that the academic environment of UCR stimulated her to pursue her interests and finally develop a true passion. She recalls: “Academically, the best memory I have is of writing a personal diary for Mykoff’s Gender Studies class. It was mind opening. There was so much more going on than I was aware of. This was one class that influenced my life and my thinking.”
While many students have praised the teachers and class curriculum, most of them agree that UCR represents much more than pure academics. It is also a place of self-reflection and self-discovery. One student writes, “I didn’t feel like I always fit in while in high school, but at UCR, you don’t have to fit in.” In fact, UCR’s many social activities, societies, clubs, tight-knit campus locations and general openness have allowed hundreds of students to call UCR a place close to home.
In a celebration of UCR’s 7th Anniversary, Willem Hendrik Gispen, Interim Dean Roosevelt Academy, exemplified the true nature of UCR’s education in a beautiful quote by John Newman; and today, the quote is just as fitting.
“It is the education which gives a woman or a man a clear conscious view of her or his own opinions and judgments, a truth in developing them, an eloquence in expressing them, and a force in urging them. It prepares her or him to fill any post with credit, and to master any subject with facility. She or he has the repose of a mind which lives in itself, while it lives in the world.”
Laura van der Laan, class of 2016, is a Law major from Orinda, California.
