Experiences for Global Project and Change Management an der Windesheim University of Applied Sciences

My name is Suzanne, a happy third year student Global Project and Change Management at Windesheim Honours College. It took me a while to get here: the last years of high school orienting, a gap year and some more orienting. But i chose this study because I want to give meaning to the things I do.

I went to Ghana for my internship and when I arrived in Accra I was amazed by the men, women and children carrying around huge bowls and boxes on their heads. They sell anything on the roadside. When I told the taxi driver that I love, but mostly respect what these people are doing, he responded surprised: 'So what do you have where you are from?'. 'Supermarkets, Stores,Restaurants, the occasional drive-through.' 'But what if you are hungry or thirsty NOW?!' 'You'll have to go somewhere.' 'That's stupid.' Suzanne Vink

The Ghanaian culture is funny, but straightforward. That straightforwardness also showed in other ways. People that I did not even know asked me for my phone number all the time and if I wanted to be their friend. It was not until later that I found out that it was their way of networking. With limited health care, police services and insurances, people are constantly trying to expand their network as a safety net (which works both ways). This was interesting for me, because in my study to become a project manager, networking and communication are important, and this experience helps me become better at networking in international contexts.

I will never forget this 21 year old woman. A smart and confident lady who had two children already. Despite not having the support of her family and dropping out of high school, she said she didn?t care, because she valued her life. She would motivate herself and attend health care, because she puts her children and herself first. These kind of experiences stay with me, and I think they are invaluable for my personal and professional development.
I used this experience to develop a project proposal for a radio show (?My life is important? in the local language), which the organization where I had my internship is now executing. The knowledge that my work as a student is actually used and hopefully will impact daily livelihoods to some extent is amazing.

My BBA Programme Global Project and Change Management brings me knowledge of management, leadership, organizing, business, and so on and I can use it to do good.
If you would like to read more about my journey as a project manager, you can check out my blog, www.suzanneisnothere.wordpress.com.