Meet some of the Coach Café coaches

“During the Coach Café, it is my personal mission to challenge alumni to think beyond their own expectations”

My name is Rafaela Frijns and I am one of the Coach Café coaches. I graduated with a BA and MSc in international communication. After working at a communications consultancy in Utrecht, I was drawn back to working in an international setting. Since 2011, I have been working as a student recruiter for two international universities and at different faculties. In my work as a student recruiter, I talk with students and alumni who are trying to figure out which study programme fits their dreams. Often they already have a thesis topic or career path in mind, but are not sure how to get there.

I love seeing students develop themselves at UM once they get here and reach their full potential. I always wonder what they will do after graduation, resulting in having 1-1 conversations about their future path after Uni and helping them explore the different options out there. This inspired me to volunteer for the Coach Café. This way I could help more students to think beyond their own expectations. I have noticed that every experience throughout your life will provide you with a new piece of the puzzle and might eventually change the idea you had in mind in the first place. Your favourite professor might change your mind about an interesting thesis topic or a suitable master’s programme. Your study abroad experience might help you to gain a new set of skills or to fall in love with living in a different country. These experiences might change what makes you happy and intrinsically motivates you as a person. Therefore, I would like to inspire you to think with your heart and to reflect on whether the career path you had in mind is still the right choice for you. In the end: all roads lead to Rome. So, it is okay to make a different choice once in a while or to take a detour.

Hi everyone, my name is Aniek and since April 2021 I have been involved in the Coach Café from Maastricht University.

In my life I experienced that one simple remark, in this case from my dad, could basically determine my whole career.  When I was 11 years old I came home from elementary school where we had an orientation day to learn about all kinds of professions. When I arrived at home, I mentioned to my dad that I wanted to become a nurse. After which my dad said to me: “But you’ll never earn enough money with such a job!” so I said, in all my stubbornness: “Alright, than I’ll become a lawyer”.

So I went to high school and then to Maastricht University where I studied law. After my graduation in 2015 I had lots of different jobs and eventually became an in-house legal officer for a startup company in Eindhoven. It was fun and I learned a lot, but I soon came to realize that it was not my passion. My passion is in coaching, so I ended up quitting this job to pursue my personal dream of becoming a freelance coach! So now, I have my own coaching practice in which I help people figure out what they really want and to get rid of the expectations of others so that they can confidently go after their dream job.

Basically, I’m doing what I would have wanted someone to help me with when I was 11 years old. To teach me how to stay true to my passion for helping others, even when society, your family, your friends or even your partner might think differently.

That’s why I believe the Coach Café to be such a wonderful opportunity for alumni to tune into themselves and ask themselves that one super important question: If I can do anything I want, what would it be? It’s a very fun experience to get in touch with ambitious people who want to get the best out of their career. And I am so happy to be a part of that impact!

Had the Coach Café existed when I graduated, I could’ve definitely benefited from it!

Your only limitation is your imagination

My name is Maik van der Linden and my passion is to help people grow, by inspiring and challenging people to get the best out of themselves. I strongly believe that you can become whatever you want as long as you put time and effort in. As a matter of fact, Malcolm Gladwell believes (and so do I) that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an export in something. Moreover, one of my personal role models is Max Verstappen. He is a very talented, committed and dedicated F1 driver. Without his dedication and commitment, Max would not have gotten where he is right now. Fun fact, Max is a Limburger just like myself. 

I have already had a versatile career. I graduated in 2016 and hold a Master’s degree in International Business from UM. After a brief career in consulting, I moved to ASML and held various positions in project management, HR and now – most recently – I became a team manager of 20 executive assistants. These assistants support over 60 senior managers and executives. 

Since 2021, I have been involved in the UM Coach café as I love to support schools and universities in their drive for high quality education. Particularly, I am very excited by helping and inspiring the next generation. I spend quite some time soul searching myself and love to inspire the students that this is OK. There is no need to have it all figured out after graduation. It might sound cliché: it is not about the destination but about the journey. 

My name is Mayra Quintero, a 33 year old Ecuadorian who decided to take a different career path in the Netherlands. After completing my Master Degree in Innovative Hospitality Management (2017) in Barcelona, with five years of growing towards a management role in the hotel, I shifted towards a career counsellor/recruitment position. Those 3 years fulfilled my drive of helping young talent gain the right experience in their early career years. When the pandemic hit, another change in my career arrived and I was lucky to have joined Maastricht University. For two and a half years now, I’ve worked with international students who arrive to the Netherlands with scholarships and Financial Aid as well as pockets full of dreams. It has been wonderful to hear their stories and see where our alumni is now. I really look forward to continue to meet alumni and future graduates this time as a Coach at the Coach Café.

When meeting young (soon to be) professionals, it’s an amazing challenge to help organize their ideas, dreams and goals and assist in creating a short term step plan in getting one step closer to the start of their career. When asked the right questions and tuning into what really drives you, incredible things can come out of one single conversation. It might not always be about knowing right away what you want to be, but how you can acquire the right experience when working your way towards a more long term career path. Just remember, wherever this path takes you, leave a mark. A positive one. This has worked for me so far and I really look forward to getting to know your stories and sharing some advice with you all.

Hi, my name is Marion Schepers, I’m 55, mother of a son of 18. I love horses and dogs, riding my bike, yoga and aqua jogging. I am very interested in systemic coaching.
I followed several trainings at the academy www.jategennu.nl. And I am a representant in family constellations, organized by www.Quantum-Leap.nl.

I studied law at the university of Maastricht and still have a warm heart for my university. That is why I like being a coach for the Coach café. I really enjoy helping young alumni discover their talent or move towards realizing their dream. And I like to talk to the next generation, they are interesting. It’s a great concept the Coach café. Just a lovely evening in a pleasant and safe environment, with “bitterballen” and drinks. Come talk to your fellow alumni and coaches who want nothing more than to empower you and set you on your way, with a head full of dreams or a concrete action plan or a phone number of someone you want to talk to.

May 1st I will start as a business consultant for the Starterscentrum Limburg (development entrepreneurship and guidance of start ups in Limburg (NL) province. I am also a creative writer (articles, essays, broadcast copy). Not only do I write myself, but I am also passionate about supervising students with their research and thesis.

Before I have worked for the government for 25 years in all kinds of positions (policy officer, deputy head of department, project leader, process manager).

Let’s make it a memorable night at the Coach café!

I am Joris Berger, one of the coaches at the Coach Café and an alumnus of Maastricht University myself, where I pursued my education at the School of Business and Economics.

After my studies, I began my business career in the financial services sector. What was initially intended to last only a few years, extended to over 20 years at various banks, primarily in leadership roles such as team leader, manager, or director. I derive the most energy from collaborating with teams to achieve goals and deliver results. In my role as a leader, I strive to be a catalyst and support my colleagues as much as possible to excel in their professional roles.

For the past three years, I have worked as a manager and head of staff at two different educational institutions (UM and VISTA), and since May 1, as a Manager of Advice at Human Capital Care (HCC). Here, we work together on promoting good employer practices. HCC caters to employers who prioritize their employees, believing that employee well-being directly impacts the organization. Therefore, we collaborate with employers to keep their employees healthy, motivated and competent.

It's really exciting to use the experiences I've gained to support students who are about to embark on their promising careers! It's a whole new phase in everyone's life. However, it's a step often accompanied by numerous questions, uncertainties, and insecurities. How awesome is it that the university organizes a Coach Café where people who have already navigated their path are paired with students to guide them through those first steps? Playing a role in this initiative and giving back to the education system that equipped me for my career's memorable experiences is truly gratifying. Moreover, it's fulfilling to potentially assist today's youth towards a rewarding and successful work life.

How awesome is it that the university organizes a Coach Café where people who have already navigated their path are paired with students to guide them through those first steps?

My name is Emmelie Hazelzet and I'm one of the Coach Café coaches. Since 2015, I belong to the UM alumni group as well. After my studies, I started as a project leader in a start-up company. After 3 years, I started another challenge, namely my PhD trajectory at Maastricht University at the department of Social Medicine (FHML).

As a young professional it's important to think about your future, but it doesn't have to be perfect right away. In the Coach Café, I aim to inspire you and provide you with the right tools to reflect on yourself as a person and your next steps. I'm excited to meet you and to inspire you to think about what is most valuable to you and what makes you happy. If you're interested, join us at the Coach Café!

Hope to see you, Emmelie.

Roger is an alumnus of Maastricht University where he earned his MSc in Health Sciences with a thesis focused on Molecular Cell Biology. Additionally, Roger obtained his PhD from the Biochemistry & Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht at Maastricht University, where he conducted research on the post-translational carboxylation of vitamin K-dependent proteins.

Throughout his professional career, Roger also obtained his MBA from Nyenrode Business University in the Netherlands and his Executive Diploma in Managing Medical Product Innovation from Copenhagen Business School in Denmark.

As a senior leader and coach with over 22 years of international experience in the biopharmaceutical industry in the EMEA and APAC regions, Roger has held various senior sales, marketing, medical, and operational roles at blue-chip pharmaceutical companies, as well as running his own consultancy. Currently, he serves as Senior Market Manager Ostomy Care of Coloplast in the Netherlands.

Furthermore, Roger has a passion for coaching and wants to help people unlock their potential and discover their true talents, ambitions, and dreams. So, if you're curious about your inner motivations, sign up for the Coach Café!

Roger is married, has two children who are both studying in Amsterdam, and enjoys outdoor activities such as running (having completed the New York City Marathon), skiing, and golfing.