Leonoor Cornelissen

How did Jacobs University help you reach your personal goals?

Jacobs offered lots of opportunities for me professionally and personally. On campus there was a strong sense of community in order to let me develop safely at that age in the person that I wanted to become. Professionally there were many opportunities for student job, internships, financial support for internships and to do field work for my thesis research. Jacobs really provided a community with a lot of support in which a lot of things were possible. During Jacobs I did internships at UNRWA in Brussels and at Human Supporters Association in Palestine.

What did you search for and find at Jacobs University?

I came from an international boarding school as high school (United World College), and I really wanted to go back to a community like that—a community that truly valued diversity. That's what I found at Jacobs.

Do you have any advice for prospective students?

I think with advice, it only really works once you’ve experienced it yourself. You can receive it, but you really only internalize it once you’ve had the experience. So go out there, explore, fall and get back up. But if there is one thing I’d say it's this: recently we’ve heard a lot about this term of “employability”, and my advice would be: try not to become employable. That’s not the purpose of university. The purpose is to become empathetic, compassionate and critical. Focus on developing those skills and not on becoming an employable person for the labor market. Become a person that's ready to face the challenges of today's world. These are challenges that ask for more connection with yourself, others and nature around you.