By Megan Finlan ’21, staff writer
Despite having her study abroad experience cut short, Willemijn (Willy) van den Berg wouldn’t trade her time at LVC for the world.
van den Berg grew up in Zwolle, a relatively large city in the east of the Netherlands, where she attended Gymnasium Celeanum. While working through her last year of high school she wasn’t sure what her next steps would be after graduation. van den Berg’s sisters, Josefien and Carlyn, studied abroad in the United States at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, and after seeing their great experiences abroad, she knew that she wanted to study abroad in the United States too.
“My year at LVC was unforgettable,” van den Berg said. “The community and people were so nice and inviting.”
The education system in the Netherlands is different than in the United States, van den Berg explained. In the Netherlands, students apply for a major and once accepted, it’s difficult to change it. Students who decide to switch majors must drop out of their current major and reapply in the new major for the next year.
van den Berg had the opportunity to explore a variety of majors during her time at LVC to find her interests before returning to the Netherlands to continue her studies. She took advantage of this opportunity and participated in classes in English, art, digital communications, sociology and even athletic training.
“I was really trying to experiment with different fields and discover what I enjoyed doing,” van den Berg said. “What really amazed me about the classes was how involved the professors were. I swear that within two classes, they knew my name.”
While exploring classes and a new culture, van den Berg immediately got involved in life on campus as a member of the field hockey team. She appeared in 16 games for the Dutchmen as a defender and was named a Collegiate Scholar of Distinction by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association and Zag Field Hockey for maintaining a cumulative GPA greater than 3.90 through the end of her first semester.
“I am so glad I received the opportunity to be a member of the team in the fall,” van den Berg said. “It was such a great experience to be part of a varsity team, and all of the girls made it unforgettable.”
Some of her favorite memories from her time at LVC were dancing in the homecoming pep rally with the field hockey team, experiencing her first Thanksgiving, visiting Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and watching the Bachelor with friends every Monday night.
“My biggest struggle at LVC was saying goodbye,” van den Berg said. “I had so many fun activities planned in those last two months, and the semester being cut short was devastating. I definitely gained a second family.”
Now, back in the Netherlands, van den Berg hopes to attend the Technical University of Delft for product design. While she doesn’t have a clear idea of what her future holds, she definitely plans to visit LVC again.