A familiar face

Mitra plays a key role in the personal guidance of students who start their studies in a new country, far away from their familiar environment.

For many international students, the transition to the Netherlands is significant: a different language, culture, rules, and social context. Mitra sees it as her mission to lower that threshold as much as possible. From the very first point of contact, she is involved: she welcomes students upon arrival, helps with housing, and supports them with practical matters such as regulations, finances, and study organisation. In doing so, she often becomes the first familiar face within the HZ environment.

Personal involvement

What makes her approach special is the intensity of her personal engagement. She goes beyond formal guidance and often takes on an almost informal, warm role in students’ lives. She cooks for them, listens to their stories, thinks along when problems arise, and offers support at moments when everything is new and overwhelming. She organises cultural lunches, such as African and Balkan lunches, to strengthen the sense of community within HZ and celebrates their birthdays together. This closeness ensures that students feel not only helped, but truly seen.

Even after graduation, Mitra remains involved. She supports alumni in finding jobs and helps them stay connected to the HZ community. In this way, guidance does not stop after their studies, but develops into a long-term relationship between students and the university.

Space to grow

An important outcome of her work is the strong community that forms around international students. They do not feel like outsiders, but part of a network in which there is space to grow, share, and support one another. Initiatives such as the annual “Mitra Party” strengthen this sense of belonging, where (former) students come together to celebrate successes and stay connected.

Mitra shows that real impact is not only found in systems or procedures, but in genuine attention and human connection. By giving students a home far away from home, she makes a difference in their lives and study experience.