Adopt your own seat on campus

Tilburg University student Aymen Achnine won gold in taekwondo at the European University Games. “On July 30, I had the opportunity to participate in the European Universities Games 2022 in Lódz (Poland). I secured the gold medal after 3 wins against United Kingdom, Ukraine and Portugal respectively. What made it even more special was that among the Dutch delegation I was the only student who managed to get a gold medal on the last day of the event. The Have a Seat scholarship helped me a lot! Without the financial support, I could not have participated in this event and had to miss out on a wonderful experience.”

Maxime Vercauteren, a student in Economics, went to a training camp in Calpe with the support of the Have a Seat scholarship program: "Thanks to the Have a Seat scholarship, I was able to go to a training camp without having to pay for all the costs myself. This allowed me to better prepare myself for the season. The training camp went flawless. In the end I was able to train for 12 days, of which 2 were rest days. This resulted in 1,240 km over 44 hours on the bike, plus core and flexibility exercises. All in all, the perfect preparation for the upcoming season. Sadly, I have had a lot of bad luck in the first few races, crashes and mechanical failure have prevented me from doing well. But in the coming period there will be more important races. Starting with next Wednesday, I will leave for the Ardennes for a 5-day stage race. In the long term I would like to earn a contract with a professional team. In addition, I want to continue studying, after my bachelor I also want to do a master. #haveaseat #scholarship #tilburguniversityfund

Marijn Maas (20) student International Business Administration: "The Have a Seat scholarship is a real game-changer for me. Last February, I was on a two-week training camp in Calpe (Spain) to prepare for the 2022 cycling season. Without the help of the Have a Seat scholarship program, this would not have been possible. The training camp went very well and there was a noticeable improvement. The cycling season has only just begun, but so far I am very satisfied. I finished 3rd in the Ronde van Huijbergen and recently I became 24th in the Omloop van de Braakman, an important race in the elite-below category of cycling. In the long term, I hope to achieve the highest possible level in cycling. I want to become a pro, but I also find it important to have something besides cycling. That's why I'm studying International Business Administration. With the help of Tilburg University and my cycling team JEGG-DJR Academy, the combination of top sport and studying has gone very well so far. "

Psychology student Dane Cvetkovic: "Recently, I have had several great performances. For example, a 9th place at the Dutch International Amateur Championship, a 2nd place at the spring match, and a 12th place at the National Open. The support of the Have a Seat scholarship program helped me pay for participation in the European Golf Championship in France. I am therefore very grateful to the donors for their support. In 2022, I will participate more in the international top amateur competitions besides national amateur competitions. However, the goal remains the same: to score as well as possible. I will therefore ensure that I continue to do my best in both areas!"

Business economics student Di Ke Wu was able to participate in the Junior Powerlifting World Championships in Sweden with a Have a Seat scholarship. "The World Powerlifting Championships was a completely new and unique experience for me. The preparation before the competition went super well and had a lot of confidence in the competition. In the end, I put down a 210 kg squat, 155 kg bench press, and 245 kg deadlift, which was good for 11th place and a 610 kg total. The Have a Seat scholarship allows me to experience international competitions of a sport I love very much. Looking back, I am satisfied with my result and performance. Because of the pressure of a World Championship, a tournament feels different. I am hoping, in the long run, to be at the top internationally as well!"

Abobaker Rahmani, a student from Afghanistan, is currently pursuing his master's degree in Finance at Tilburg University. “I came to Tilburg with high motivation and determination to study my master’s degree. I always wanted to do more for my people, and education was a vital part of my goals and dreams. However, the Taliban took power in Afghanistan. Like other Afghans, I was put in a challenging situation financially and emotionally. The university helped me in every possible way. Part of their support was to give me a grant, which enabled me to continue my education. Thanks to the donors of the Have a Seat scholarship program for their support, I now have the means to continue and finish my master’s degree at Tilburg University.”