Students give me energy

Wendy Keza, project officer at the International Office

“Before I came to work for HZ, I worked as a General Ledger (GL) Accountant. I was no longer satisfied with that. I wanted to work with people. I also didn't feel I was growing anymore. I am very ambitious, and I always want to feel I’m developing myself. I approached HZ myself. It was good timing, really pure coincidence. They were looking for a colleague for the International Office. I studied International Business at HZ, so they already knew me.

Recruiting international students
My tasks for the International Office involve everything that leads to an increase in the number of applications from international students: recruitment activities and following up all international applicants. When international students want to visit an Open Day, we organize their transportation, accommodation and the follow-up of their visit. I also travel to schools and fairs abroad. We organize webinars for different countries and supervise student ambassadors who do marketing and sales tasks for us. I love the recruitment part the most.

Students give my energy
When I work together with students, every day holds learning moments for me. They are young, have a lot of energy and have refreshing opinions about everything; that gives me a lot of energy. And by working with students, you become aware you are not done learning things yourself. There is always something new to learn and the need to keep up with developments in many different areas. No one is ever done learning.

Job satisfaction
I get the most satisfaction out of it when I can make clear to a student what getting a degree may mean for him or her. I am originally from Burundi and if I had not taken the time to follow a study in the Netherlands, I do not think I would have made it this far. When, during the introduction days, students tell me that they came to HZ thanks to me, it gives me more satisfaction than money could ever do.”