Hi! My name is Juliette, I’m 21 years old and I’m from Brest, France. I’m currently doing my Erasmus exchange in Leeuwarden at NHL Stenden University. Back in France, I study for a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and International Business at the IUT of Quimper. For my exchange, I chose three minors: Entrepreneurship, Leading and Understanding Human Behaviour, Enterprise in Organisations and International Market Orientation. It’s been a very busy and exciting year!
I discovered the Bridges by Mentors program on the first day, during the introduction. Alex explained the idea of Bridges by Mentors, with mentor training, cultural trips, fun experiences, and great memories. I immediately wanted to join. I loved the idea of learning how to help others, how to support people in the right way, and how to have a positive impact. These are really important skills, not only for work but also for life.
In the first semester, I really enjoyed all the trainings where we learned what it means to be a mentor, how to build trust, and how to support others in the right way. One of the best memories was trying ice skating in a Dutch rink in Leeuwarden (it was super hard, but we had so much fun and laughed a lot!) We also did cultural activities, like visiting Dekema State, a traditional Frisian house kept in its original state. These moments helped us connect more as a group and created strong bonds and great memories. After the first few trainings, everyone became more open, and I had the chance to meet amazing people thanks to the program.
I also had the chance to meet students in local schools and talk with them about social media, cultural differences, pressure, lifestyle and more. These sessions were very interesting and full of stories and discussions. We had a real connection, even if we were from different cultures.
Thanks to Bridges by Mentors, I improved my patience and active listening. I realized that sometimes, you need to take a moment to think, understand what is going wrong, and make changes to improve the moment. For example, in the first sessions with the school kids, it was not easy because the children were very distracted because it was the day after Sinterklaas, and all they wanted to talk about was how they celebrated it. I didn’t try to force them to stop talking about it. Instead, I dedicated 10 minutes to the topic, asked them some questions, and let them share their stories. Because I was active in the conversation, we created a quick connection, and afterwards, everyone was more focused and readier to work on the topics we had planned. I learned to stay calm and adapt the activities. And it worked (I even made some new 13-year-old friends!).
I also have to talk about the trip to Bruges. It was such an important moment in my journey as a mentor. We had the chance to meet other international students and share stories about our lifestyles, strengths, and how we see the world. These conversations were really interesting and enriching. We also had time to explore the city, with visits to key spots and even the famous chocolate museum. It was the perfect mix of culture, fun, and connection.
Because I loved the experience so much, I decided to continue Bridges by Mentors in the second semester. But this time from a different angle, now I help manage the Instagram page for the program. I share photos, stories and follow the new mentors in their journey. It’s a fun way to stay connected and support the community.
Bridges by Mentors really helped me grow. It showed me how important human relationships are and how we all need to understand and manage our interactions better. And yes, I 100% recommend this program! You’ll learn so much, meet great people, and create unforgettable memories in a warm and fun environment .
