Raccoon

Did you know that this animal has 50 different sounds to communicate with others of his species? They are often smarter in cities than in rural areas?! We are of course the very best group one can wish for…. We are the amazing, masked, smart, soft and overall awesome RACCOON! We are super excited to be your mentors this orientation week. We will discover the city of Nijmegen, meet fellow Biologists and of course have fun at all the activities. Now let us introduce ourselves:

Let’s start with the only boy of the group, Tomas Nooijen :D An ecologist in heart and soul. With a love for all that is nature from peat moss, to insects, to large mammals, I love them all (even humans). This love for nature also inspires me to seek out new surroundings. To fulfill this interest I am (co-) chair of BOS the travel committee of BeeVee. With whom I organise the BeeVee study trip and weekend. Another motivation for traveling is being able to taste foods from other cultures. As a true foody, I also love to cook, which led to me joining GASTRO, the food committee, as well. Besides traveling and cooking, I love to spend my free time playing games (especially Pokemon) and going out to drink and/or dance. I am currently coming into my 7th year of my studies finishing off my Masters degree in ecology/Science Management & Innovation. Therefore I have plenty of experience studying in Nijmegen and you can ask me about anything you might struggle with or are concerned about. Before handing over the word to my fellow mentors, I’d also like to mention I am a proud Brabander from Heesch and I have more recently gotten into whisky after having tasted most of the popular craft beers available in the Netherlands.

Followed by the lovely Ella Jansma!!!

Hello there! I am Ella, one of your orientation mentors. I will be a third-year biologist and a second-time mentor. I am really excited to be a mentor to the best group of all: the raccoons! A little bit about myself: I grew up in Maastricht, but my mom is from Germany, and my dad is from Friesland, so I would not really consider myself a Limburger. Actually, Nijmegen is so far the city I feel the most at home in, and I can’t wait to show you around. I am part of the sports committee of beevee (study association of biology), which has more to do with being competitive than sports, although I do like sports such as bouldering, ping pong and scuba diving. I also really like travelling. I took a gap year and did a solo trip to Indonesia and Australia, which was really cool, and I also like doing road trips with my friends when we get the chance. I am really excited to meet you guys and show you around, don’t be scared to ask us any questions that you have, we are here for you! And last but certainly not least, Jet van Bakel :D!

Dear raccoon, my name is Jet van Bakel and I am (at time of intro) a third year biology student. I am 22 years old and from the city of Oss. I am following the neurobiology route as I am very interested in how the brain works. I would not be a biologist if I did not also love being outside and exploring nature – I am always available for a mental health walk! More about me, I am active in BeeVee as a member of the cooking committee GASTRO and I am the secretary of the board. BeeVee is super fun for Dutch and International students, since they organize a lot of activities that fit everyone’s hobbies or interests. They organize movie nights, and hikes, game nights and theme parties. It really has something for everyone! Furthermore, I enjoy playing sports, running, singing and so much more… But I will totally tell you all of this in orientation week!! As we say in Brabant, houdoee and I will see you all in August! <3