The HZ: for Giusy a place to connect with people and the world
Get to know Giusy, an Italian Tourism Management-student at HZ. Together with other students she has found a way to create a safe space where HZ students can talk with each other and share thoughts. In times of stress, but also when they just want to find someone that is experiencing similar issues. Feeling good and understood is important at HZ and Giusy is making it her goal to contribute to it. A completely different mission compared to her studies in Tourism Management? Not at all!
We are better together
Talking to your classmates or other students is something you do everyday at HZ. But there's not always time, or a right moment, to have a deeper conversation. About stress, anxiety, problems and struggles that you may have to deal with as a student. But also about impactful things happening in the world. That's why some students, including Giusy, decided to create a safe, accessible space for HZ students. A great initiative named 'better together', that HZ supports in every way. The idea is that students can join different support groups, where they can talk with each other about pretty much anything. Giusy: "We want to explain and show that you don’t need to feel alone as a student. And that it's ok to not feel ok sometimes. Especially as an international student having to perform in a new environment. In the end it's not only about sharing negative thoughts. We turn them into something positive during these meetings. Through reflection and exercises, such as a drawing workshop where you look for who you are at the core level."
Helping each other never gets old
Giusy: "It sounds simple but I like to help people. I want to help other HZ students because I want them to be happy. And I can do that with the support groups. Making people happy is also a big part of tourism. That's one of the reasons why I chose to study Tourism Management, besides getting to know new cultures and the opportunity to travel a lot.” Giusy doesn’t only want to make people happy by working in the tourism industry. She also continues to strive towards creating a better world because she believes that fair tourism and sustainability should go hand in hand. A concept that plays a major role within the bachelor and HZ. Giusy: "How can we make the world a better place? We talk about it a lot while working on our projects. Everybody deserves a holiday, some time to relax and enjoy the moment. It's good for your mental health! At the same time tourism can have a negative impact on the environment. That's why sustainability is so important. We need to make sure we can go on a holiday without sacrificing our planet."
Creating a domino effect
Giusy doesn't expect that she can solve complex world issues, like climate change, on her own. But she believes that it's the little things that matter. That's why she will always help others, like she does in the support groups. And her helping other HZ students doesn't stop there. As a student ambassador and buddy she is doing her best helping new international students. Giusy: "I was the buddy of a new student. I helped her to find her way at HZ and we bonded together. She later decided to help others the same way I helped her. It shows that with kindness, more kindness is born."
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