By Linda Reijnders
ORANJESTAD –She is the girl from the billboard. Emily van Spaandonk (19) is a natural and smart beauty and second year student at the Accounting & Finances studies of the University of Aruba. Those two assets are combined in the banner/billboard of the university and during the Open House 24th of March she will welcome you as being part of the welcoming committee. “I am really looking forward to be able to talk about the university and motivate young people to choose for this wonderful place. This is a very good university!”
The Faculty for Accounting, Finance and Marketing where Emily is studying is an accredited universal studies of 4 years by the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders: NVAO. This organization was established by the Dutch and Flemish governments as an independent accreditation organization tasked with providing an expert and objective assessment of the quality of higher education in the Netherlands and Flanders.
“I am in my second year and I really, really love it, simply enjoy it. When I graduated from ColegioArubano I was only 17 years old and I did not feel ready to go abroad yet. I
decided to start studying already and had a look what they had to offer in Aruba. My mom also went to FEF but she left me free to choose.” Emily went to the Open House and she heard good comments from friends and family. “I experienced quickly how apprentice the university is and was able to get my propaedeutic diploma in the first year which was really a plus to me.”
Preparing for Own Business
Her major is Finance & Accounting, where they work a lot with numbers. “We are learning about business ethics and law in business, very interesting. We also learn about global economics. It is a very well-rounded study. You do get a taste of everything and that’s important for you to know where your interest is.” The planning for the internships are in process and the Emily and her co-students have just started to write their application letters and resumes.
“I would love to do it at KPMG, at least at one of the big 5 accounting companies. Hopefully we can make that happen”, she laughs. Her dream is to have her own business one day and she is aware that FEF is helping her with the preparation for that future. “They learn you also to be a good leader and about running your own business. I would love to produce make-up and run my own make-up factory/company. I can already see myself while I am learning in the classes.”
A Solid Ground
The FEF has more than 400 alumni. After completing the Accounting & Finance or Marketing program and obtaining their bachelor’s degree, a FEF-alumni goes on to work in a variety of career fields. Companies and organizations where our alumni are employed include the Central Bank of Aruba, Ernst & Young, PwC, Deloitte, KPMG, CATC, Marriott Aruba, Aruba Tourism Authority, banks, wholesalers, hotels and utility companies, in other cases some move on to an entrepreneurial paths.
In the last decade, there has been a growing number of FEF alumni who continue their studies abroad. A completed FEF bachelor program gives you more guarantee to successfully complete a serious business related master study, then going abroad right after completing your secondary education in Aruba. To Emily it is not only the high-quality studies that attract her, but the entire ambiance at the university.
“There is always this positivity, we are connected and that is also because the classes are smaller than abroad. The students bond and the teachers are approachable. It is just all very nice and welcoming. And of course this renovated monumental building with the garden full of trees and birds motivate a lot too.”
For more information please check the website http://www.ua.aw/ or Facebook University of Aruba.
