Mitchelle had a lot to deal with as an international: "In Zimbabwe depression does not exist"

Because of her boundless energy and the fact that she does not shy away from difficult subjects, she is an inspiring personality. Mitchelle is modest, positive and has already largely mapped out her future. Yet it hasn't always been that way. The fourth-year International Business student has come a long way to be where she is today. "In Zimbabwe, they don't do depression," she says later in the interview.

That student coach Marloes Heering recently nominated her as HBO Hero of 2022 is not without reason. Unfortunately, Mitchelle did not advance to the finals. But the fact that she received so many words of praise in the nomination round is a great honor. "I had never heard of this competition before," Mitchelle explains. "Although I have always learned from my parents not to focus too much on the things you have achieved, a nomination like this does make me proud. I actually don't know how to react to it, haha."

Breaking into the culture

Looking back at the past four years, she has had to deal with a lot as an international student. After her arrival in the Netherlands, her sense of responsibility took over. This adventure had to succeed. "But you end up in a completely new system and have to think of so many things," Mitchelle explains. "I didn't take time to process everything and just kept on going. Mentally, financially and emotionally it was exhausting. Because there was no regular contact person I could turn to, I taught myself many things." Fortunately, she did have a Dutch classmate who helped her with things like opening a bank account and a bsn number.

Precisely because there was no regular contact person to show her the way, Mitchelle is now trying to fill this role for other first-year international students. "When I look at my mother, I see a lot of myself reflected. She is a psychologist and always interested in people's well-being. I've got that, too. I want students to feel like they can come to me for problems. Everything is new; they have to feel comfortable here."

Suicide

That she is so fanatically committed to the well-being of her fellow students has everything to do with an event in her past. She was ten years old when she hung up the phone with one of her friends. "We were having a normal conversation about boys and music, when at the end of the conversation she said to me: Thanks for taking a moment, I was otherwise planning to commit suicide.” It touched Mitchelle deeply. "She said it so calmly. Then I suddenly realized: people can be so messed up with themselves without showing it. I had to do something with that."

And she did. Although she struggled with depression for a long time and also felt lonely and anxious, she never lost sight of her fellow students. Over the past four years, Mitchelle has been active in a lot of areas within Saxion. The Central Participation Council, the Top Talent program, the International Office and the Study Success Center, just a few of the things she has been doing. She speaks the language of students and teachers and knows how to put student well-being on the agenda. She is invaluable to Saxion's educational ambitions, Heering praises. Mitchelle smiles modestly and shrugs her shoulders. "Sometimes it was a lot at once," she says. "But the secret is to do things you enjoy. That's how I keep this up."

Financial problems

Looking back on almost four years at Saxion, she is especially proud of the fact that she did not give up. Especially mentally, she has overcome many obstacles. "If you say in Zimbabwe that you suffer from depression, they would not understand. But thank goodness for my mother, who recognized it and looked for solutions." And then there was corona, which caused her internship company to go out of business and her parents to go out of business as well. "Financially it became a huge challenge. I was really thinking: what else is coming? Fortunately, things are a lot better now."

If you ask the young student about her big dream, she doesn't have to think long. ''Motivational speaker, writer and philanthropist, that's the direction I want to go. Strong women like Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey are my examples.'' The student wants to make an impact, to mean something for the greater good. "But first I'm going to work in the educational sector. After four years of studying, it's time for a change. My master is for later."