Hi everyone!
My name is Lisa van der Geest, I am 23 years old and I am the newest intern at LeidenGlobal.
I grew up in Oegstgeest but decided to go to the United States at 18 years old to attain my bachelor’s degree in International Affairs at Lafayette College. I went to the United States not only because I wanted to study there, but also to combine my studies with playing hockey for the college’s varsity team. Combining sports and studying is something that I have always loved doing, and even though it was a very demanding and busy life, I loved all four years I got to spend at Lafayette. My experience in the US unfortunately got cut short by two months due to the COVID-19 crisis, which is why I moved back to the Netherlands in March 2020.
It was always my plan to come back and do my Master’s degree at Leiden University, and I was lucky to be able to start my Master’s in International Relations here in September 2020.
I am very excited to get the chance to do this internship at LeidenGlobal, as I have a strong affinity with the city and I love what the organisation stands for in trying to build connections between the people, communities and institutions in Leiden. I see this internship as an opportunity to apply the academic skills that I have learned over the years to a real-life, work setting, and to bridge the gap between complex academic articles and ‘the general public’. Besides, I am excited to be a part of a team in which I feel like I can truly let my individual voice be heard and make a direct impact on the organisation.
By Lisa, LeidenGlobal intern