Who was/is your Role Model and why?

The most important role models in my life are my grandmother and my mother. While my grandmother was not allowed to finish her primary school at the time, she has always worked hard to support her daughters and encouraged them to study and pursue their interests. My mum worked as a librarian at the University of Antwerp, and her stories planted the seeds for my academic career. She has always supported me in my ambitions and taught me the sky is the limit if only I work hard. Our mothers and grandmothers paved the way, and now it is time for us to make use of the opportunities they created but may not have had themselves. 

What advice would you give your 17-year-old self, reflecting on your personal or professional  challenges, experiences or successes?

There are many ways to reach the same goal, so worry less. During my undergraduate and graduate studies, I often worried whether I made any suboptimal choices. Should I have studied in the US or UK instead of in the Netherlands, should I have chosen a different study subject, etc. In the end, it doesn’t really matter. If you know what you want, you can work towards it, and even if you take a detour, you can still reach your destination. And even when you decide to change your destination a couple of times on the route, you can always end up somewhere you like.