Since you graduated, what kind of jobs did you have?
During my master’s I did my MSc MADE internship and master’s thesis at Witteveen+Bos, an engineering and consultancy company. The internship familiarized me with how a company operates and provided me with the opportunity to delve into a topic that was relevant in the field. My thesis explored the effect of online participatory platforms on urban redevelopment projects. After I graduated, I was hired at Witteveen+Bos as a stakeholder engagement consultant.
Is this what you always wanted to be? And what are your future goals?
Growing up I was fascinated with maps, flags, and city planning. During my bachelor’s Spatial Planning and Design, I realized I wanted to focus on making cities more sustainable and inclusive. This is why MSc MADE was a perfect fit. I believe that cities should not only be made for people, but together with people. Residents in cities know their own environment best and therefore can add great value to improve their neighborhood. The emergence of e-participation tools and platforms facilitates accessible citizen participation. By using both online and offline participatory methods, a larger and more diverse group of people can be reached. In this way, a more representative view of what inhabitants truly want can be formed, and better decisions can be made by civil servants. My career allows me to help stimulate the growth of e-participation, a field in which I believe we will see many changes in the near future.
How did your time at the AMS Institute prepare you for your career?
MSc MADE and AMS Institute played an important role in preparing me for my career. Two years of collaborating with passionate and ambitious students, who were focused on sustainability, was very inspirational.
Also, the xsliving lab case I worked on for DGTL festival was very rewarding. Working at DGTL for half a year, collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders, and delivering a product was great on-the-job training. I continue to benefit from skills gained during the living lab experience in my day-to-day work life. During the program, I was also active outside the classroom. Together with three of my peers, I found the study association MADE IT. Currently, I am a MSc MADE alumni ambassador. I look back to my time at AMS Institute with much satisfaction, and I’m certain that the MSc MADE alumni will stay in touch and form a valuable network.