Alumni Stories

SBE - 9 October 2024

Manon Weusten is Maastricht University’s 100,000^th alum. The South Limburg native with an international outlook, a love of her region and a passion for lifelong learning talks about UM’s contribution to her career path—and her aversion to attention.

FHML - 3 October 2024

Sid Penders is helping childcare organisations across Zuid-Limburg to implement healthy practices. As a Health Sciences/Global Health alumnus and PhD candidate, Sid monitors and evaluates a learning network of childcare organisations. The member organisations join forces and learn from each other regarding healthy practices and policies.

FASOS - 26 September 2024

Paul Fehlinger was fascinated by the digital economy from a young age. Born in Berlin and raised in Munich, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in European Studies from Maastricht University. This laid the foundation for a flourishing career, culminating in his current role as director of Policy, Governance Innovation and Impact at Project Liberty. 

FPN - 14 August 2024

Alum Saara Martinmäki volunteered for the Red Cross, and during high school helped drowning survivors overcome their fear of water. She came to Maastricht University in 2015 to pursue a master’s in Clinical Psychology. Today, she conducts research on the wellbeing of humanitarian aid workers and advises international organisations on how best to support their employees.

LAW - 12 July 2024

From a childhood dream of becoming a pilot to studying law, with a brief detour into finance, and now working as a Procurement Manager for the Lufthansa Group, Alumnus Charles Brichet was determined to pursue his dream career in aviation, overcoming every obstacle, challenge, or setback along the way.

SBE - 3 July 2024

UM alumni Brian and Rob Timmermans combined their degrees in Econometrics and Sustainable Finance with their passion for karate, resulting in an ever-expanding trophy collection. Both brothers are multi-time and reigning Dutch champions in their respective weight classes and have achieved success on the international stage.

FHML - 12 June 2024

A bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences gives you ample choice for where to apply your detailed knowledge of sickness and health. Whether you want to work in or outside of the lab. Lobke Meels is an inspiring example of pursuing a career outside of the lab.

FHML - 31 May 2024

Kira moved from Northern Germany to Maastricht for a Double Degree Programme between the University of Maastricht and Bremen. She combined her master’s 'Healthcare Provision, Management, and Economics’ with the international perspective on health in the master's ‘Governance and Leadership in European Public Health’. 

FSE - 8 May 2024

Having come to South Limburg to study at Maastricht University’s Department of Advanced Computing Sciences, Marcell Ignéczi went on to co-found COMPUTD, a company dedicated to bringing AI solutions to the region he now calls his home.

SBE - 18 April 2024

Maastricht, Seattle, London, The Hague, Brussels, Maastricht: his career has taken a roundabout route so far. But for Davy Pieters (41), returning ‘home’ after an international career felt like coming full circle.

SBE - 2 April 2024 

Owned and run by UM alum Natalia Westermann, the Dotnsquare store on the Heggenstraat in Maastricht is a vibrant tribute to polka dots, pragmatism, sustainability, social entrepreneurship and love for Limburg.

FHML - 17 January 2024

What happens in the brain of someone with a psychiatric disorder? Eleonora Broggi, an alumna of the bachelor Biomedical Sciences at Maastricht University, is investigating brain patterns in people with autism spectrum disorder at King’s College London.

FHML - 8 December 2023

Manon’s academic path led her to work on prevention and well-being at the workplace. A place where we spend most of our time. The master’s programme Occupational Health and Sustainable Work (OHSW) uncovered the interventions that companies and policymakers need to keep work sustainable.

SBE - 24 July 2023

SBE alumnus Maxime Croisé (Renneboog) did not follow the typical career-path as you would expect from someone graduating from a Business School. When most of his fellow SBE alumni were signing contracts to work for various companies, Maxime followed his passion and became a magician.

FHML - 12 July 2023

Clinical epidemiologist and post-doctoral researcher Frits van Osch studied Epidemiology because of its strong focus on research methodology. Frits is excited to work with statistics, data and patterns at VieCuri Medical Centre and to pass on his knowledge to FHML students as a tutor.

FHML - 21 June 2023

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Biometrics, Bibi Teeuwen was looking for a master with a focus on the nervous system and brain. This happened to be the same year that the master’s programme Biomedical Sciences added its sixth specialisation ‘Neuromodulation’1. She applied and became one of the first students to graduate in Neuromodulation.

FHML - 24 April 2023

In order to pursue a master’s degree that combines health and communication, Michelle Vellinga moved from Amsterdam to our UM-community in Maastricht. In her own words, choosing Maastricht University was the best decision she made during her student life.

SBE - 16 March 2023

SBE alumnus Niels Geominy did not follow the typical career-path as you would expect from someone graduating from a Business School. When most of his fellow SBE alumni were signing contracts to work for multi-nationals, Niels decided to launch his own start-up: Fiks.

FHML - 13 March 2023

Ines Aoufi always dreamed about a career where she could work towards ensuring that every person has access to the best possible healthcare. She learned about the Bachelor European Public Health at Maastricht University; a programme that prepared her best for the work she is currently doing in the healthcare public affairs sector in Brussels.

FHML - 3 February 2023

A bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry in Canada, an English teacher in Vietnam, and a master’s degree in Global Health in Maastricht. Rochelle Caruso's journey is not one you see every day.

FHML - 26 January 2023

Sofie Schuller, 2022 alumna of the master’s programme Occupational Health and Sustainable Work (previously known as Work, Health and Career) is currently conducting research on the working conditions of ‘ghost workers’. As a former student-ambassador, Sofie still feels very connected with the programme.

SBE - 29 November 2022

UM alumnus Robbie Servais works as a football coach at K.R.C. Genk, one of the five most prominent football clubs in Belgium. An unusual career considering that he studied International Business at Maastricht University. Although Robbie's profession may seem like an unusual career choice, his studies at the School of Business and Economics did have a great influence on his professional career. 

FHML - 1 September 2022

Evelyn Grace Bigini, a nurse from the United States, achieved a Master of Science in Global Health from Maastricht University through the Fulbright Program. She now lives in Rwanda while studying at the University of Global Health Equity. "My perspective is to reflect on the past and think about the future, but to live in the present."

SBE - 21 July 2022

SBE alumnus Pieter Klinkers is CEO of Maxion, the world market leader in wheels. A company with nearly 12,000 employees, 24 factories worldwide and close to 3 billion euros in annual sales. Klinkers on the main principle in his leadership style: "Pushing with a smile. This means that we want to be the best at what we do, but always with an eye for people and for each other.”

PSYCHOLOGY, LAW - 5 April 2022

Julia Shaw (1987) completed the master's programme in Psychology and Law at UM. She now works as a researcher at University College London. She is also the author of a few books and the host of two podcasts. Criminal psychology, false memory and bisexuality are her main areas of interest.  

FASOS - 28 January 2022

As a fresh-faced student, Jeroen Lenaers had no idea where a degree in European Studies would take him. The UM alum who simply ‘fell’ into a career in international politics was last year elected by VoteWatch Europe as the most politically influential Dutch MEP. “MEPs have a huge influence on legislation—that’s one of the great things about the job.”

SBE - 28 June 2021

Shortly after graduating from the School of Business and Economics, Willem Overbosch fell in love with Australia. He is now on the verge of settling there permanently with his wife and children. Although the decision to leave was easy, the period that preceded it was tough.

SBE - 13 April 2021

Inspired by his own life and education, SBE alumnus Thanh Binh Tran created Moonshot Mission, a digital platform with the aim of eliminating extreme poverty by connecting donors with NGOs that utilise proven scientific methods to have the greatest possible impact per Euro invested.

FHML - 25 February 2021

Dick and Izabela Bemelmans, alumni of Maastricht University, left their busy lives behind to establish a care/teaching farm in the Polish countryside. Escaping the pressures of full-time careers in healthcare, they now focus on offering guests relaxation and connection with nature.

SBE - 19 februari 2021

Naughty Nuts GmbH, founded by alumnus Benjamin Porten and Lorenz Greiner, is disrupting the nut butter market with their natural, vegan, organic products. Born from a peanut butter crisis in Germany, their commitment to pure ingredients and community input has led to rapid success, with a webshop launch within five months.

FHML - 29 June 2020

For five years now, Jeroen Hendriks, alumnus of the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, has lived the Australian way of life. His heart skips a beat when it comes to innovative cardiovascular care, bike rides to the Australian beach and... the Maastricht Onze Lieve Vrouweplein. What’s the story of his life and career?

FHML - 29 October 2019

What New York is for fashion, Los Angeles for entertainment and Wall Street for stock markets, Silicon Valley is for technology. Tech behemoths such as Google, Facebook and Apple have their headquarters in this region near San Francisco. What is it like to live and work there? Alumna Anna Karmann answers this question.

LAW - 12 June 2019

Imagine: you graduated successfully, found your dream job and live in the city. You seem happier than ever. At least, until you get restless. Would you leave everything behind and go? Tamar Valkenier, alumna from Maastricht University, would at least. Since 2015, she has been a full-time adventurer. What does her life look like?

FHML - 17 September 2018

While studying Health Sciences and Human Movement Sciences at Maastricht University (UM), he had his sights set on a career as a manager of top athletes. He would never have dared to dream that one year after he graduated he would get a bronze medal at a World Cup, win the national title and train as a top athlete for the Paralympic Games.

SBE - 19 June 2018

UM alumnus Guillaume Hansart ventured into entrepreneurship by creating his own brand of Peruvian Pisco in Mexico. Despite facing challenges in sales, he values the growth and experience gained from his venture. His ultimate goal is to build a successful business, driven by his passion for tangible products and international experiences.

FASOS - 12 March 2018

Friday 24 February marked a momentous occasion for alum Jan-Joseph Stok. Following six years of hard work, the documentary Che in Congo - A Dream of Liberation on which he collaborated with producer/director Ben Crowe saw its European premiere at the international documentary festival DOCfeed in Eindhoven.