European judo champion Paulien: 'At Summa I get the space to pursue my two dreams'

How do you combine top-level international sports with a nursing degree? For Paulien Sweers (22) from Nuenen, that's no longer a question. With flexibility, commitment, and personal attention, she found a path that works for her at Summa this academic year. After six years of higher professional education (HBO) nursing, she transferred to Summa at the beginning of this academic year. A breath of fresh air, as she calls it. "Here, I'm not just seen as a student, but as a complete person."

Last weekend Paulien became European judo champion in the +78 kilo category at the European Championships under 23. In the meantime she is following Summa the vocational nursing course, in a flexible program that suits her. She's officially a fourth-year student, but she's still catching up on parts of her second and third years, such as electives and subjects like Dutch, English, and math.

"It's easy to do at my own pace," she says. She trains about 13 hours a week at Hercules in Limburg and travels to Papendal once a week for national judo training. "It's an intensive program, but it works. Thanks to the space I get here."

While the workload and structure of higher professional education previously held her back, Paulien feels empowered at Summa to take charge. "I have two dreams: a nursing dream and an Olympic dream. I want to represent the Netherlands at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. And I'm pursuing both of those dreams."

At Summa, she has the freedom to tailor her education accordingly. For example, she's doing an internship at the PG department of De Akkers in Nuenen and has a lot of responsibility for her own learning path. "During the introduction, they immediately asked: what do you need? There was no barrier or judgment, just genuine engagement."

One of her Dutch teachers even made time just before her maternity leave to personally mentor Paulien. "That shows how far people are willing to go here. You can feel it in everything."

On the mat, Paulien shows that the same focus takes her far. Regarding the European Championships, she says: “It was all so close last weekend. I had to stay focused match after match. If you're not paying attention for even a second, it can be over. There was a chance of a medal, because I've been performing consistently all year. This title feels like a huge reward.”

If all goes according to plan, Paulien hopes to obtain her vocational nursing diploma after this academic year. Whether she wants to continue her studies afterward is still uncertain. "I'll mainly focus on what I need to achieve my second dream: participating in the 2028 Olympic Games."

Photos: European Judo Union