"I never thought I would be here now, working as an earth science PhD student in Amsterdam. Growing up on the sunny island of Curacao to parents that worked in finance, this was and is a far-from-my-bed-show. When I was in my last year of high school my mentor put me in a room with a thousand folders and told me to start looking for a study program in the Netherlands. In the end, I chose Earth Sciences at VU Amsterdam. Moving from a small island to Amsterdam was quite a shock, but I found a great sense of community back during my study. In the Bachelor’s programme we went on many field trips, from the Ardennes to Spain. As students we became a lot closer during these trips and I have some of the best memories from this time."
"I continued with the Master’s programme Geology & Geochemistry at VU, doing a research project on the geological aspects of CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) and a MSc thesis at EBN (Energie Beheer Nederland) on the generation and migration of oil in the Dutch subsurface. It was a great experience to do some applied research during my masters and discover what it’s like to work for a company. The best part of studying Earth Sciences (BSc) and Geology & Geochemistry (MSc) is that you learn to think and understand how Earth works as an interlinked system. The maths, physics and chemistry get a bit tougher during the MSC, but through the course programme you’ll learn some great skills that will fit your interests. My favourite course during the MSc was Geology of the Netherlands, which was an interdisciplinary course that combined working with seismic, well log data, and cores."
"While writing the final version of my MSc thesis I started looking for jobs. I had no idea where to start my ‘career’. When I came across the application of my current PhD I was very attracted to the multidisciplinary approach this research would offer me and decided to apply. Now I’m in my second year doing a PhD at VU and TNO (Geological Survey of the Netherlands) on the Miocene period in the southern Netherlands. I combine different types of data, such as seismic, well logs, grain size-shape analyses and Ar-Ar dating to construct a source-to-sink model that explains the influence of tectonics, climate and sediment supply on the Miocene stratigraphy. While doing a PhD is academically focused, my research also provides information on the subsurface in the Netherlands that can aid the development of geothermal energy. In a race against time to cut our reliance on fossil fuels this is a great thing and a problem where we as earth scientists can contribute."
