Meet the team members

Now that the team members for the Group Study Exchange 2006 to Western Australia have been selected, it is time for a short indroduction.

Hans Jaap Feenstra:
The 2006 GSE team leader of District 1560, Hans Jaap Feenstra, is born in 1947 (the best vintage of the last century!) at Haaksbergen (the Netherlands). Active member of the Rotary Club Haaksbergen since the charter in 1993. Rotary president in 1995 / 96 with the theme “Youth and Music”. Married to Gerda for 33 years. We have a daughter (Rinke) and two sons (Coppe and Arne). Living at Lochem in a small renovated farm with 2,5 acres of land. We travelled the world and lived and worked in France (Paris, 3 years) and Australia (Sydney 4 years). Actually working as MD for Unipro, a flooring adhesive manufacturer at Haaksbergen. Hobbies are music (playing piano, guitar and accordion), sport (golf and tennis), gardening, reading and meeting friends. Very positive attitude which sometimes can be dangerous in being over optimistic. It is a great challenge to go with a super motivated team of young enthusiastic people to an unknown area and making new friends.

Sandra Lüers:
Sandra is 27 years old and born an raised in Almelo, a little town in the eastern part of the Netherlands. She’s living together with Mark who’s a social worker in a nice little old house.
In her time off she plays volleyball and she reads all kinds of books.
After finishing high school (atheneum) in 1996, she started studying at the ‘Hogeschool Enschede’ in Enschede (now called Saxion Hogeschool Enschede) to become a physical therapist.
After graduating (four years later) she immediately started working at the practice, in Almelo, where she learned the practical side of her profession during her education. Now, almost six years later she’s still working there.
In this vocation she works with mentally retarded people and gives fitness lessons. Another part of the job going to companies and look at the physical working conditions and, if necessary, do something to improve them.

Linda Rijssemus:
I’m a 26 year old social worker, born and raised in the city Arnhem, in the middle of the Netherlands. At the age of 18 (in 1997) I moved with my family to Delden, a small town next to Hengelo (in the eastern part of the Netherlands) where I still live now with my cat Indy. It was a big step from city-girl to the ‘country’ but eventually I acclimatised well.
Also in 1997, after finishing my Highschool in Arnhem, I started with my study social work at the ‘Hogeschool Windesheim’ in Zwolle. In my last year, when I graduated, I applied at Impuls in Oldenzaal (15 min. drive from Hengelo) where I still work these days.
At Impuls, an institution for welfare and education, I work as a social worker with children and youth at the ages of 4 to approximately 23 years old. I have to carry out and develop projects for several groups of children and youth to make them, among other things, more able-bodied for our society.
I am interested in many things, but what I really like to do is spend time with my friends and meet other new people. Other hobbies are: to watch movies, listen to music.
This Group Study Exchange to Australia is really a great opportunity to explore more about my work. It will surely deepen and broaden my knowledge and professionalism! But it also is an enrichment of my personal development!
I’m hoping to meet some new and very interesting people (which I already have met: my team members!) and looking forward to spend a really great time!

Sjoerd van Werven:
I was born on January 14th 1976 in Schagen, a small town in the north-west part of Holland.At the moment I am living in Ermelo, a town (+/- 27.000 people) in the centre of Holland It is a nice town to live in, water on one side and lots of forest on the other side).
My wife Wendy and I married in June 2003 and in October 2004 our son David was born. We own our own home in the middle of a block of 5 in a nice and quiet street.
I graduated at the Hogeschool Arnhem Nijmegen, were I studied Logistics. During my study I followed an exchange programm to study in Germany for nealry 5 months. After graduating, Wendy and I travelled through Australia and New Zealand for some months.
In october 2002 I started as a material requirements planner at Sara Lee International in Amersfoort, Sara Lee's centre of excellence for producing toohtpaste.
My hobbies are mountainbiking, travelling and basketball.
To be part of this wonderfull team and join this GSE-exchange gives me an excellent opportunity to learn about working and living in another country.


Bob Boerrigter:
Bob Boerrigter is born ( 3 June 1978 ) and raised in Denekamp (the Netherlands). Graduated from the Enschede Business College in 2001 were he studied Marketing & International Trade. Lived in Willemstad, Curaçao for six moths to complete his internship. After graduating I started working as a Sales Consultant for Unit 4 Agresso, an international software company that supplies business software and internet and security solutions. My hobbies are windsurfing, scuba diving, playing indoor soccer and meeting friends. By participating in the Group Study Exchange I hope to experience differences in the work field and everyday life that will develop my vocational skills as well as my personal skills. I’m also looking forward to this trip because I am travelling together with four fantastic team members. I sure it’s going to be a great adventure.