In 2020, Imke van der Velden successfully completed her bachelor’s degree at University College Venlo (UCM). As the icing on the cake, she won the UCV bachelor’s thesis prize: her thesis addressed the question of whether 14- to 17-year-olds can be made interested in a healthier, more plant-based diet via Instagram. Thanks to a North Limburg Regional Grant, Imke was able to start the Health Food Innovation Management master’s programme in September of that year. But a tragic accident in the summer of 2020 threw her wonderful plans into disarray…
In June 2020, Imke was involved in a serious cycling accident. She was unconscious for over five minutes and suffered a mild traumatic brain injury. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she was involved in a car accident a few weeks later. Both accidents had a huge impact. “In September, I started my master’s programme in good spirits despite everything, but I soon realised that it just wasn’t working,” Imke says. “I was hypersensitive to images and sound and could barely look at a screen for ten minutes. I had constant headaches. I had to stop my studies to fully focus on my recovery first.” An emotionally and physically difficult time began for Imke. In addition, there was the uncertainty about the continuation of her education. What would happen to her scholarship? “I was very worried about that. But fortunately, it was not necessary. The Fund and the scholarship provider were very accommodating and supportive. That was a huge relief. They put the scholarship on hold so that I could focus on getting better in peace and quiet.”
Imke is currently doing an internship at the VieCuri Medical Centre in Venlo. “At the hospital, I am conducting research into functional intestinal complaints that people experience after bowel cancer surgery. I am looking at how these complaints relate to sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass) and what role fibre intake plays in this.” Imke expects to complete her training in December. “I’m really ready for that now. It’s taken long enough. I’m looking forward to exploring the job market and taking new steps here in Panningen. I hope to be able to buy my own house in the future. First I have to finish my training and find a job! I like many different things, so the options are still open. As long as it has to do with nutrition and health, I have really found my passion in that.”
Three years later, in 2023, the moment has finally arrived: the recovery is going so well that Imke can start her training again. However, that does not mean that she is back to 100%: Imke still experiences pain on a daily basis and has to take regular breaks when she reads or looks at a screen. “But the intervals are getting longer; I notice that I am making progress every day. In any case, I am not the type of person to give up. Fortunately, I have no shortage of perseverance,” Imke says with a smile. Her dedication, positive mindset and willpower are admirable.
“I’m definitely not the type to give up. Fortunately, I have no shortage of perseverance.”
Imke has now been working on her master’s degree for about a year and a half. “I really like it. The combination of nutrition, health and a bit of business is very valuable to me. In addition to substantive knowledge about the health sector, we learn, for example, how to write a business plan and how to set up your own company. What particularly appeals to me about studying at the UM is the problem-driven education. It makes the programme very interactive. The subject matter also sticks better if you are intensively engaged with the subject matter yourself and can get to work on your own learning goals. We share our findings during the lessons; that knowledge sharing is very interesting and educational.”