The Rutgers–Camden finance major, who will graduate May 19, is a real globetrotter. A native of the Netherlands, van Wijk has lived in three countries, has travelled to 20 others, and is fluent in three languages.
“My father is a businessman and travelled a lot for work,” says van Wijk, who now lives in Camden. “My mother also loves travelling, so we always went to different countries. I love the different cultures. These experiences have opened my mind and greatly enhanced my education and growth.”
Van Wijk’s worldly experience will be quite an advantage as she pursues a career in business. She is one of just 16 people in the country who have been accepted into the Acceleration into Financial Professional (AFP) Program at Vanguard, one of the world’s largest investment management companies.
The one-year rotational program trains Vanguard employees in corporate finance, auditing, and mutual fund operations at an accelerated rate.
“It’s a marvelous program that readies you for the real world,” says van Wijk, who minors in both management and economics. “I’m very excited about it. Business is so globalized now and it helps tremendously that I speak different languages and am fluent in different cultures. I’ve been to many countries and I understand how their economy works, and their traditions.”
Van Wijk, who is fluent in Dutch, English, and German, attended one semester of college in the Netherlands before moving to the U.S. in 2008.
“I wanted to be in a more competitive environment,” she says. “I love business and I was hungry for more.”
Van Wijk came to the U.S. with her father, leaving her mother and most of her family in the Netherlands, and received her associate’s degree in business administration from Gloucester County College. She then enrolled at Rutgers–Camden to pursue her bachelor’s degree in finance.
“When I came to an open house at Rutgers–Camden, I was amazed at how nice the campus was and how much it had to offer,” she says. “There is a great quality in smaller campuses. I know all of my teachers, and I’m very big on personal relationships, so it’s nice to be able to communicate with not only business students, but also arts and law students as well.”
At Rutgers–Camden, van Wijk is a member of Beta Alpha Psi, the finance and accounting honor society, is a writer for the Rutgers School of Business–Camden newspaper “Minding Your Business,” and is founder and president of Rutgers–Camden’s tennis club.
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Media Contact: Ed Moorhouse
(856) 225-6759
E-mail: ejmoor@camden.rutgers.edu