By Otti Thomas
The Netherlands has more than 150,000 residents with roots in Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba. Thousands of these residents are successful in their own way. During 2018, Foundation Ocan, originating from the Consultative Body for Dutch Caribbean persons, will put one of these persons in the spotlight every week. In the spotlight this week is Edwina Hodge, store manager at Parcls.com and board member of Unified St. Maarten Connection.
In her own words:
I came to the Netherlands to study business administration in Arnhem but I really could not stick it out any longer because I found my internship to be very monotonous. My internship supervisor and teachers noticed that as well, and let me take a career choice assessment for a course with enough challenge that would also best fit my personality. The results were “Junior Account Manager” and “International Business Studies”. The four years it should have taken were squeezed into three; and in the end, I completed that in two years.
I worked at the Burger King restaurants aside from my studies, and quickly got a promotion from Trainer to Assistant Manager to Manager. There, I discovered that I loved to pass on information and to tell others how I experienced certain situations. I also helped out with the reception of students that came to the Netherlands and because of this am now involved with Unified St. Maarten Connection.
I started in 2011 with my HBO course, Applied Psychology, and took two years to complete the propaedeutic phase because I had broken my ankle while playing basketball and this made it hard for me to follow all the classes.
Obstacle
I broke my other ankle in 2013 and things went downhill. The treatment and healing took really long. My orthopaedist did not listen and wanted to use a treatment consisting of three injections in my ankle. He said I was imagining things when I told him that the first injection did not feel right.
I demanded a second opinion from one of the best orthopaedists in the Netherlands via my general practitioner. He confirmed that there was something wrong, but there was a 41-week waiting list for a consultation.
I did not function well at school and could not work during that time. I no longer had the energy. I walked with crutches for three years and was quickly exhausted. I felt as if a train was coming at me at full speed and I could do nothing to prevent the collision.
A school psychologist determined that I was depressed. The image that I held of myself did not match the image that I saw. I was disappointed in myself and could not fall back on basketball which had always been a support to me.
Things started to improve slowly after the operation in 2016 and I started to think about basketball again. I suffered a dip again when I hit my foot against a stone. Things went south yet again. That went on until July of last year when I learnt to let go of certain things and to rediscover myself, to look for something else that I could source accomplishment from, to say yes to all the opportunities that came along my path.
I went to work for Parcls.com, a sustainable logistics company striving to reduce CO2 emissions and make the streets less crowded. I have since become a store manager. I definitely want to complete my studies, but on my own time.
Inspiration
Basketball had always been my outlet. My head was clear on the court. I did not think about disagreements or problems; only about basketball. It gave a moment of clarity. I could always find very quickly a solution to all sorts of situations after a match or practice session. The movie theatre has now taken its place. I go alone to the movies in the morning, at night, whenever I have the time. It’s a moment to myself – a way to focus.
I discovered sailing this year. On my girlfriend’s birthday, we rented a motorboat to sail through the Utrecht canals. It is very soothing. Not talking, not listening but steering the boat and enjoying. That is the finest thing in life that I have discovered this year. I want to do new things, experience new sensations, and so, I started acting again. I have a role in the One Happy Kingdom play by Ida Does.
Grateful
They always say it takes a village to raise a child. That definitely counts for me. I grew up on St. Maarten with my grandmother and grandfather, my father’s parents. My grandmother taught me to not do things halfway, but to do them well and with pleasure.
My father, my stepmother, uncles and aunts, people from church and teachers at school were also important to my upbringing. They were mostly strong women who raised the bar really high. I always valued that. They taught me to remain myself and make the most of life.
In the Netherlands, I owe a lot to my cousin Lemoiro, close friends, and the St. Maarten Unified Connection, which is actually like a little family. They helped me through it when I could not bear anymore. They saw to it that I could keep on going.
Help
I help when people ask me to; but if they do not, then I am not the type of person to stick my nose into other people’s affairs. As a store manager at Parcls.com, I bear responsibility for an entire team. I am available to help them from eight o’ clock in the morning until eight o’ clock at night.
I also coach people at USC and give them advice about ways in which they can deal with situations. Aside from that, I have my own business named EQ Guidance for building CVs. I help people build their CV based on their competences and personality.
Advice
I embrace all opportunities that come my way. I do not say no just because an opportunity does not happen to fit the image that I have of myself. That is also the best advice that I can give others. Do not reject opportunities because you have the feeling that they do not fit your long-term goals.
To students I say that it is not a shame if they do not pass their first year or are not sure about their choice of study. Social conventions determine that we have to choose at a young age what we will do later on, but that does not fit everyone.
Foundation Ocan supports Dutch Caribbean persons in the achieving of their individual and shared ambitions and objectives. Visit www.ocan.nl and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
