On September 30th 2024 Dorienke received her American High School Diploma from UStudy Academy Director Marina Meijer. The festive gathering took place at the American Women’s Club The Hague in the presence of friends and family. After a warm welcome from Club President Marilyn Engelbrecht, Dorienke also received kind words from (U)HB specialist and personal mentor Joke Krist. She was Dorienke’s supervisor at MeerHB during her educational program at UStudy Academy@Online.
Dorienke’s strong development potential and highly complex way of thinking meant that the regular Dutch education system was not suitable and far too slow. This even caused trauma due to various incidents in which the school proved unable to focus on Dorienke’s needs. Comments such as “you may be gifted, but not in math” caused Dorienke to completely lose confidence in herself and her abilities. After a slow start in which Joke and Dorienke worked together, but Dorienke already had difficulty logging into her learning platform, it became apparent after a few months that Dorienke was able to complete the Algebra course with maximum scores. The teacher said she rarely saw such excellent work and mentioned that she would always have faith in Dorienke, which was a huge boost. After that, celebrations became more frequent each time Dorienke completed another course. As a result, in just one year, she completed the courses required for her High School Diploma.
From a Dutch high school that saw repeating the year (again) as the only solution, to an American high school diploma with only A and A+ grades. Not only was repeating the year an admirable decision, it also showed that the school did not have the necessary knowledge and skills, even though they claimed they did. This shows how important it is to find the right path and what a difference it can make in a young person’s life.
Future plans? Dorienke first needs time to process this special and successful educational journey and then cautiously look ahead. Dorienke has a keen interest in the subject of (exceptional) giftedness and has a talent for creative writing and graphic design. Perhaps another trip within Europe. Dorienke will be exploring her options for further education this year, but one thing is certain: the world is now at Dorienke’s feet!
