Yvonne overcomes setbacks and graduates from Summa
Graduation is just the beginning of her ambitious plans.
Yvonne de Water, from Den Bosch, faced a number of setbacks at a young age. However, she didn't give up. She's graduating soon! It's just the beginning of her ambitious plans.
Laughter fills the room. "My friends don't really understand it either," says Yvonne from 's-Hertogenbosch. "But I absolutely love rules. They tell me where I stand, which lines I have to draw."
She pauses briefly. "But wait a minute," she says. "I'm not just obedient. I'm quite challenging. I'm full of questions. Besides, I want to show what I'm capable of. That's how I ended up studying Legal Professions at Summa in Eindhoven a few years ago."
Difficult period
It marked the end of a difficult, even intense, period in her life. "I was born and raised in Rosmalen," says Yvonne de Water. "I grew up with my two brothers in a loving family." Not everything turned out to be rosy. Her parents didn't stay together.
Yvonne started her pre-vocational secondary education (MAVO) at the Rev. Pierson College in 's-Hertogenbosch with high hopes, but after a few years, she found herself on the sick list. "I regularly had abdominal pain," she says. "And after a little over two years, it became clear I had serious medical problems." Because of the illness, she ultimately took five years to complete her MAVO.
The atmosphere at home – she lived with both her parents alternately – didn't improve either, says Yvonne. "I decided to move out of my parents' home through assisted living. That taught me to become independent and to stand up for myself. Looking back, I'm very glad I took this step." It also made her think about her future.
"I thought I could make up for the delay I'd suffered in pre-vocational secondary education (MAVO) by going to adult education (VAVO)," says the Den Bosch resident. "My idea was to complete the two-year HAVO program in one." Although she worked tirelessly, it didn't work out. "I decided to quit the program early and focus on improving myself."
Her search for a suitable education led the Den Bosch resident to Summa's vocational program for Legal Professions in Eindhoven. "I have a thing about rules," she chuckles.
Fish in the water
After more than two years at the school in the heart of Eindhoven, Yvonne feels like a fish in water. She understands why her program, now renamed Legal, Insurance & HR Services Specialist, was named the best in its field in the latest Keuzegids MBO (Vocational Education Guide).
"I'm absolutely loving it here," she says. "It's a small school where students receive personalized attention. I can be myself here. No one gives me a hard time if I want to know the ins and outs again. And that's not only important, but also a huge incentive for me."
Yvonne de Water has found her groove again. And she is ambitious. “My goal is to complete this training cum laude "To finish," she says. "That's definitely possible," she concludes, "because I received a 9,4 for my internship at the Commercial Law department of the Court of Appeal in Den Bosch last academic year. They were so pleased with me that I did a summer job there and will soon be able to do another internship – at a different courthouse."
Future
Meanwhile, she's dreaming out loud about her future. "I don't want to commit to a future job yet," she says. "So I'm going to study law in Utrecht. That way, I'll have plenty of time to decide, perhaps as a legal advisor or a tax advisor. Definitely something with rules."
If it were up to Yvonne, she wouldn't stop after her next diploma. "If I succeed, I'd like to pursue a university degree in my chosen field," she says. That means at least seven more years of schooling.
"Well, that's going to take some perseverance," she laughs. "I can imagine it won't be easy if my friends go to work while I'm still scraping by. But hey, I'm not giving up. That's not how I am."
This post previously appeared in Click News – Bossche Broadcasting.