Timo is already an entrepreneur in ICT

He hasn't even officially received his diploma yet, but he has already taken his first steps as an entrepreneur – the first invoices have already been sent out.

Timo Cuijpers (19) is almost finished with his Software Developer training at Summa ICT; he only has one more exam to complete. His journey to the finish line wasn't without its bumps. "It's important that you recognize in time what matters on the road to that coveted diploma." A conversation with Timo, the CEO of the IT company. From Best.

A tailor-made study

"My father has his own IT company," he begins. "So, the fascination with that sector was practically instilled in me from birth. After an internship with my father, I started the Summa Expert IT program well-prepared, but I found myself becoming increasingly curious about programming. After consulting with the instructors, I was able to switch to Software Developer within my first year. I felt right at home there. Who would have thought? I initially thought it would be too complicated and not very interesting. It's quite unique that they allowed me to switch after nine months. It's great that this is possible at Summa College."

Timo ended up in a differentiated class, with students who were both accelerators and decelerators; all pursuing the same passion at their own pace. “I was naturally a bit behind due to my transfer, so this approach was a perfect fit. Everything revolves around independence and self-development. The original plan was to catch up on the missed material from the regular program, but the differentiated class offered me the opportunity to learn at my own pace and to shape my studies as I saw fit. This flexibility and the guidance of coaching teachers were essential for my growth and development. I blossomed.”

Seen the light in time

For other students, the regular program works better. More support, more guidance, more direction. That's perfectly fine too. "I was let go," says Timo. And as wonderful as that can be, it almost went wrong for a moment. "I was pushing the boundaries. Little things, like smoking on the grounds, playing around, and taking too many breaks. It happened too often. My mentality and motivation just weren't right. I was being pulled by the sleeve. I was walking on thin ice, I got too caught up in undesirable behavior. What did I really want with my studies? What mindset should I be doing? Time for self-reflection; this was a wake-up call. I took the extra opportunity to heart and turned the corner." Timo talks about a study path with ups and downs. Whatever the case, he ultimately ended up with a degree in his hands. And with his own IT company.

Entrepreneurship

Timo has been interning at software company WEAP in Gemert for the past few months. He worked independently with his friend Jelle, also from Summa ICT. We needed little guidance; we were already used to that method from our differentiation class. At WEAP, we developed a documentation application that will actually be used, with code we're proud of. Through trial and error, we created something we look back on with a good feeling. We learned a lot from it. We would have loved to get a contract after the internship, but the company didn't have that opportunity at the time. At some point, I came up with the idea of starting my own business, in a space in my father's office. I can hire Jelle as a freelancer, which is a great arrangement. I started with Uit Best on January 1, 2024. I design and build applications and websites. It's going really well. The first two invoices have been sent, and Jelle and I are now working on a huge web application. My father's network has been a tremendous help in getting the company off the ground and attracting new clients.

Prepared for life

In the future, Timo would love to give back to Summa College, such as mentoring interns. "I learned a lot during my internship and the period before that at Sterrenlaan in Eindhoven. I'm thinking especially about soft skills. Learning to program is very important, but more importantly, I was able to prepare myself for professional life. Growing as a professional, maturing. And I'm grateful to the school and my internship company for that. The period that's almost over has left an indelible impression on me."