ESAB cohort 2025-2026

Hi! My name is Rebecca Pytsje du-Pont, and I was born and raised in South Africa, with parents from the Netherlands and Eswatini. I am 22 years old, freshly graduated from Biomedical Sciences and continuing in a master's in medicine and clinical research (A-KO) at the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences. I have a deep-rooted passion for helping people, and I am especially interested in the workings of the human body. I love engaging in conversations where I can learn more about people’s personal experiences through different journeys of life. This curiosity, combined with my wish to give back to the community, led me to working at EDLAB alongside my studies on the Student Guidance team. We aim to strengthen the support that the students receive and help make their learning experience as enriching as possible.  

I believe that education is one of the most powerful ways to make a positive impact, and that we all share a responsibility to contribute to its continuous improvement. What I love most about education is how it brings people together, helping us learn not only about the world around us but also about ourselves and each other. I love that ESAB gives us the opportunity to actively contribute towards making education at UM more meaningful, supportive and inspiring for everyone involved.

Hey everyone! My name is Charlotte and I’m in my third year at University College Maastricht (UCM), currently doing a semester abroad at UC Berkeley in California. My focus is on psychology with the aim of understanding human thinking and behaviour (a tiny bit more every day) and gaining experience in psychological research. In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer, drinking coffee and reading an extracurricular book every now and then :) 

Over the past few years, I’ve developed appreciation for the value of education - and especially the value of good education. What defines good education is something I’m still figuring out. Speaking from my experience in classes, at EDLAB and conversations with peers, tutors and professors, it certainly involves active engagement with the material - in tutorials, assignments and also exams. Last semester a professor told me about an exam that “it was supposed to make you think”. That idea stuck with me. Even an exam can be a learning experience when it makes students “think”. Actively engaging with and critically reflecting on what you are learning helps consolidate it. This process of thinking, learning and updating knowledge and skills is one of the things I value most about education - and what I believe everyone should have the opportunity to experience if they wish to.

My name is Valeria Chistyakova. I am 20 years old, and I am currently a 3rd-year student in the Psychology & Neuroscience bachelor's programme at FPN. I love keeping myself active and my creativity flowing so some of my passions include singing, listening to different music genres, writing, reading, swimming, and working out. I also enjoy reading and learning different languages (so far, I fluently speak four, but I'm hoping to master many more in the future).  

My passion for learning arose in elementary school. In fact, my experience with my teachers almost led me to pursue an educational career myself. My teachers had a way of making every lesson feel like a discovery, blending curiosity with creativity in ways that kept us all engaged. They didn’t just teach; they inspired us to explore beyond the textbooks, encouraging us to ask questions and follow our interests. One teacher, in particular, was known for bringing subjects to life with unique, hands-on activities. Whether it was using storytelling to explain historical events or organising interactive science demonstrations right in the classroom, they made learning both accessible and exciting. Seeing their dedication and enthusiasm sparked a love for learning in me, and I’ve carried that with me ever since. 

Hi, nice to meet you! I’m Anna Gudimova and I’m a double bachelor’s student in Biomedical Sciences and European Public Health at FHML. I have always been curious about how people learn, not just what they study, but why certain environments make learning feel exciting and others don’t.  

What I love about education is that it’s never one-size-fits-all. It’s about creating space for creativity, mistakes, and those unexpected “aha” moments when things suddenly click. Some of my favourite tutorials were the ones where everyone felt comfortable to speak up, share experiences, and even disagree, because that’s where real learning happens.  

Being part of EDLAB’s Student Advisory Board means I get to help make those spaces even better. Therefore my mission this year is to help make education feel alive, collaborative, and inspiring, where curiosity drives learning, and students feel that their voices truly shape the experience. 

Hi! I am Hoang, 19 and currently in my second year at the School of Business and Economics (SBE). I study Economics and Management of Information and teach Quantitative Methods to first-year students. Teaching has become one of the things I enjoy most about university life. It allows me to connect with peers and think more deeply about how we learn. This curiosity about studying and teaching is one reason why I wanted to become part of EDLAB.  

Over time, I have come to appreciate how much good education depends on understanding how people study and engage with material. In economics, I learn how information shapes decisions and how important abilities and skills are in the labour market. Applied to learning, this means that knowing how to study can make a real difference on multiple levels. I hope to explore how small changes in studying and teaching can help students learn more effectively - from understanding the bigger picture to paying attention to details and connecting the dots until a "ahhh” pops up and then the head keeps pondering.  

Outside of studying, I enjoy listening to people’s stories and thoughts. You will often find me walking, having coffee, or trying new things. The most recent one was baking - learning that is very fun and sometimes even rewarding.

Hi! My name is Lidia Margarathe Schöpflin, I grew up in Munich and am currently studying European Law in my second year at the Faculty of Law in Maastricht. I chose this course because I am not only fascinated about different European legal frameworks, but also legal systems shape societies and influence cooperation between countries. 

Now in my second year at the Faculty of Law in Maastricht, I’ve discovered another passion: improving the study experience for other students. I strongly believe that learning works best in an environment that is supportive, engaging, and especially accessible, something I often felt was lacking in my own academic journey at the law faculty. Contributing to a learning environment where everyone feels empowered and supported is incredibly rewarding, and it inspires me to combine my own academic growth with efforts to make studying more manageable and enjoyable for other students.

Hi everyone! My name is Luisa, I’m 20 years old and originally from Germany. I’m currently in my second year of studying European Law at Maastricht University. I’m passionate about related to politics, democracy and people’s power, and I have a strong drive for justice. Outside of uni, I enjoy going for a run, having coffee dates with friends and listening to podcasts!  

I am grateful to be part of this year’s ESAB cohort because I see opportunities like this as a way to voice students’ needs. In my opinion, this forms a crucial element of a successful education system. For me, one of the most important aspects of education here at university is effective communication, which I believe is closely connected to students’ well-being. During my first year, I realised how much of a difference it makes when communication around course contents, deadlines and exams is clear and supportive, rather than creating stress or pressure. In both school and university, I’ve learned the most about a topic or from my peers when we were in a positive, motivating and collaborative environment. Therefore, I view empathetic communication from the university as essential to creating a learning atmosphere in which everyone feels safe and motivated. Through ESAB, I hope to voice this perspective on communication and mental well-being in education. 

Hi! My name is Emma Schroeder, I’m 22 years old, and I’m currently in my third year at University College Maastricht (UCM). In my studies, I focus on developmental and social psychology, and I am particularly interested in topics related to learning and education. In my free time, I like to cook, go on walks in nature, watch documentaries, and spend time with my animals. 

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been passionate about education and helping people. My enthusiasm for education grew thanks to a handful of tutors who were incredible educators and showed what positive impact this could have on students, both academically and personally. The more I learn about education, the more inspired I feel about shaping education innovation, and being able to play a role in helping students is a great opportunity. I want to make education as enriching as possible for everyone, because to me, education is the foundational building block of most people’s lives. It opens doors to opportunities, experiences, and meeting people. I believe everything in life can be a learning experience, and our experience in formal education deeply shapes us in every way.

HI! My name is Lizzy and I am currently a master's student at the Faculty of Law, and I am specialising in Human Rights. I also graduated from the ELS programme in Maastricht and have worked as a student tutor at the faculty for a year.  
 
Given my connection both as a tutor and student for several years at the faculty, I have really come to appreciate the value of both education as a whole and more specifically the educational system in Maastricht. Although it is challenging, it offers aspects that many universities don’t through the PBL system, such as being student-led and constantly practising application to real problems. My favourite part about education in Maastricht is the possibility to connect with students (both as a tutor and student myself) through the small group settings and working collaboratively to solve challenges. I value the work of ESAB for both building on the existing system to strengthen it as well as finding new and innovative ways to develop education at UM. I am therefore very excited to be a part of ESAB in the upcoming year to have a more active role in these developments! 

Hi, my name is Emily and this is my fifth year as a student at UM. Currently I am doing a master's in Psychology, with the specialisation Cognitive Neuroscience. Besides my studies I enjoy being creative and spending time with my friends. 

I have always been fascinated when studying how learning in the human brain works and by applying this knowledge to improve current education. In our education system knowledge is often passed on by one teacher to a large group of students. The PBL approach at UM has shown me that, in ideal scenarios, the teacher does not have to be the main source of knowledge. Instead, us students can learn from each other. I believe that, while factual knowledge is important, the skills we develop through solving problems together are what will help us to make a real impact. There are many more aspects of education that can be changed to ensure that we can gain these essential skills and are better prepared for our future. That is why I am very excited to be a part of ESAB and contribute to meaningful change in education.