The soon-to-be bachelor’s student is standing on a grass plot, cheering on her group mates while the ball is flying towards a row of soda bottles. ‘I knew that I wanted to study Soil, Water and Atmosphere, although I would have preferred to study in a larger city.’
Esther hails from the city of Deventer. ‘However, now that I see all these students and student activities here, I think I might just have a great time ahead of me.’ Behind her glasses, we can see a pair of cheerful yet tired eyes, which hint at a fun and late night yesterday. ‘I got lucky with my AID group, we really hit it off. I sort of knew one guy in the group, which made the first day easier, but it just rolled naturally with the rest. I’m sure we will keep meeting even after the AID.’
Dorm stress
The biggest disadvantage of Wageningen she has encountered up until now is that she has not been able to find a room yet. ‘I really feel bad about that.’ She is currently staying over in a house on the Hoogstraat, where she has a chance for a permanent room. Is it possible to combine the AID with interviews for student rooms? ‘My potential house mates prepare a great breakfast for me every morning. It really is lovely and enjoyable, but I often join my AID group a bit late because I keep lingering.’ This is rather new for the fresh student, as she is used to always arriving on time. ‘All that’s left is to hope that it will all work out.’
Sport and company
Esther enthusiastically shares with us that she will join the student rowing association Argo. ‘The mix of sport and company is what appeals to me. You work together towards a common goal and really form a bond.’ Besides that, she loves cycling and would actually also want to keep playing football in Deventer. ‘I played at a high level for some time and would like to get back to that.’ How she will combine all of it is something she still needs to figure out. ‘I’ll see whether I can manage or not. As long as I can do things I enjoy; that’s what matters most.’
Previous AID portraits:
‘So many sports to choose from!’
‘No-one parties like the Dutch’
The youngest AID participant: baby Siheng