Keona is from Curaçao and studies Nursing at HZ University of Applied Sciences. It's a long way from home, which was very difficult at first. But Keona has now settled in at HZ and in Zeeland.
Keona was born in The Hague and moved to Curaçao, one of the islands in the Caribbean, with her family when she was two years old. When Keona graduated from secondary school, she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She took a gap year and discovered her passion for biology.
When it was time to choose a follow-up study, Keone was torn between microbiology and midwifery. In the Netherlands, most studies require you to be selected by lottery. During an online search, Keona came across the HZ website and the combined Nursing and Midwifery programme. Keona was able to enrol in this programme without having to participate in the lottery.
Packing her bags
Keona had not been back to the Netherlands since she was two years old. Nevertheless, she packed her bags to study at HZ University of Applied Sciences in Vlissingen. She had not attended an Open Day, but she had spoken to staff at the International Office. ‘It felt right,’ Keona decided. ‘Let's just do it.’
Another reason why Keona chose HZ is the guaranteed accommodation for international students. She was allocated a room on the De Ruyter campus of APV Housing in Vlissingen. ‘That's a real plus,’ says Keona. HZ students from all over the world live on campus, with both the centre of Vlissingen and the beach within walking distance.
Homesickness
Despite the smooth landing in Vlissingen, Keona still felt homesick. After a sunny start to the school year, autumn arrived. Rain, cold, dark days and, for Keona, homesickness. ‘I remember it perfectly,’ she says. She wanted to go to school early to finish some work before class. Then she received a reminder on her phone from her photo library: it was a photo of her friends in Curaçao. She immediately started crying; it completely overwhelmed her. When she wanted to call her friends, she couldn't, because the time difference between the Netherlands and Curaçao is six hours. It was the middle of the night there. ‘That's when the homesickness started.’
Fortunately, Keona's mother came to the Netherlands for her birthday in December. ‘That was wonderful,’ says Keona. A little piece of home, here in her new life in Vlissingen. But when her mother returned to Curaçao in January, things became very difficult for Keona. ‘I am so far from home,’ says Keona. ‘I had enough people around me, but no one who made me feel truly at home.’ Keona was so homesick that she started having problems with her studies. She just couldn't get a grip on her studies. The Zeeland dialect didn't help either. She felt lost.
Caribbean community
Something that has really helped Keona with her homesickness is the Caribbean community at HZ. ‘I now have a group of friends that feels like home,’ she says. She met her best friend through the Caribbean community. He lives in the same building as Keona, so they see each other every day. She also meets up with other students from the Caribbean community. As best they can, they cook dishes from home together in the shared kitchen of the student house.
Next academic year, Keona will move into a studio with her own kitchen. She can't wait to make kabritu stoba, a stew with goat meat, onion, potatoes and rice. Not all the ingredients she used to cook with in Curaçao are available here. The biggest culture shock was the price of groceries here in the Netherlands. Keona stood in the supermarket and called her mother in amazement: ‘Mum, chicken is so expensive here!’
Nursing programme
One thing was crystal clear during the period when Keona was suffering from homesickness: her passion and motivation for her education. She wanted to go home, but she absolutely did not want to stop her education. ‘My love and passion for healthcare never went away,’ says Keona. The internships were also a real eye-opener for Keona: ‘This is what I want to do.’ She wants to help people, to care for those who cannot or have difficulty caring for themselves. She also finds the theoretical side of nursing very interesting. ‘I find the human body and how it works fascinating.’
Homesickness took its toll: the combined programme took too much energy, so Keona switched to nursing alone. But she hasn't completely let go of Midwifery yet. After graduating from HZ University of Applied Sciences, she wants to further specialise in neonatology. This is a specialism within paediatrics focused on the care of newborn babies. ‘I definitely want to get that Midwifery diploma,’ says Keona.
At home in Zeeland
Zeeland is quite a distance from Curaçao, about twelve hours by plane. Yet Keona feels at ease here in Vlissingen after a difficult period. ‘It's wonderfully peaceful,’ she says. Keona is easily overwhelmed, so big student cities like Amsterdam or Utrecht are not for her. ‘I'm a real homebody.’ In her spare time, she likes to read romantic books, meet up with friends or go to the beach.
Keona has now also joined one of the HZ student associations: Marum Bibio. This student association organises parties and other events in their clubhouse De Fles, in their local pub De Vrienden van Vlissingen and other locations in and around Vlissingen. Keona has made friends with students from all over the world, for example from South Africa, the United States and Lithuania.
Experiences during internship
During her internships, Keona came into contact with many elderly people in Zeeland. Unfortunately, Keona also occasionally encountered racism. With her dark skin and frizzy hair, she is a striking figure in the care homes of Zeeland. There was one woman who did not want Keona to help her because of her skin colour. ‘I respect everyone's boundaries,’ says Keona, ‘but we live in 2025, come on!’ This woman had early-stage dementia and was delirious, making it impossible for Keona to engage in conversation. Keona did report the situation to her internship supervisor and takes the initiative herself by, for example, swapping clients with a colleague. ‘That's how I set my own boundaries.’
Personal growth
Over the past year at HZ, Keona has undergone tremendous personal growth: ‘The Keona who arrived here in Zeeland a year ago and the Keona of today are completely different.’ When Keona first started her studies, she was quite shy and hesitant to try new things. However, during her classes and internships, Keona learned to set boundaries, communicate assertively, and stand up for herself. ‘I am very grateful for my growth over the past year,’ says Keona. ‘I am proud of myself.’