Program Spotlight:
Meet NAF-Fulbright Student Claire van den Helder
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In this month's program spotlight, meet Claire van den Helder, one of the 12 NAF-Fulbright students of the 2022/2023 academic year. Claire is currently pursuing a Master's degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago, specializing in Disability Studies. Previously, she attended Leiden University and received her BSc in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology.
This month's guest interviewer is Ambassador Fay Hartog-Levin (Ret.). Ambassador Hartog-Levin served as the 65th United States Ambassador to the Netherlands from 2009-2011. Her parents were Dutch citizens who left the Netherlands during WWII and immigrated to the U.S. thereafter. She now serves as Chair of the Board of The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.
Fay Hartog-Levin (FHL): How did you decide to pursue a master's degree in the US and when did you decide to apply for a Fulbright fellowship?
Claire van den Helder (CvdH): Honestly, I never thought that it would be possible to study in the US. It wasn’t on my radar until I decided that I wanted to specialize in Disability Studies...
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New Episode of Bridging Worlds Podcast:
How it started, how it's going
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Jacques Detiger (left, now 87) jumped on a coal ship in the early 1950s to the US and became one of the most successful entrepreneurs the Netherlands has ever known. Floridian Jonathan Cordova (right, 24) just arrived in The Netherlands for an internship. Both were sponsored by the Netherland- America Foundation, albeit about 70 years apart. Listen to these two stories about kickstarts, why they matter, and how the NAF continues to impact lives through funding exchange programs.
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The Heersink Family Global Health Internship Fund |
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In 2022, the inaugural award from the Heersink Family Global Health Internship Fund was granted to Isabelle von Polenz, who recently completed her Master's Degree at Maastricht University in the Global Health Programme. This fall, Isabelle interned at the Vayu Global Health Foundation in Boston, Massachusetts, where she learned about the Bubble CPAP device and Oxygen Blender, which both save neonate's lives in low-resource settings, as well medical engineering and implementation in vastly different settings.
A partnership between the Netherland-America Foundation and the University of Maastricht, the Heersink Family Global Health Internship Fund provides an annual award to a select number of students in the Master’s Program of Global Health at the University of Maastricht. This fund, in honor of Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, will enable awardees to pursue a global health-related internship in the United States.
The inspiration for this scholarship is Princess Margriet’s passionate devotion to public health as exemplified by the Red Cross Princess Margriet Fund, her patronage of VISION 2020 Nederland, and her timely focus on antimicrobial resistance, which the World Health Organization has identified as one of the top ten global health threats.
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"The Heersink Family Award was crucial and allowed me to make the most out of my time in Boston – mostly because of the comparatively high living costs and inflation in the US, but also due to the fantastic experience I got to have."
-Isabelle von Polenz
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Ways to Give: Make your year-end gift today! |
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Whether you stay connected to the Netherland-America Foundation through your monthly editions of the NAF newsletter, the NAF Bridging Worlds Podcast, Chapter Events, Business events or have attended any one of our Signature Events, we are happy to have you as a part of our community.
Now is the time to give back to the NAF with a year-end gift. Our Building Bridges Year-End Campaign is still in full swing and we encourage everyone in our community to make a gift that enables us to continue our program offerings that celebrate the best of Dutch and American culture. Every gift matters – please make your contribution online today.
We also encourage members of our community who are evaluating their year-end philanthropic giving to consider the NAF with a grant toward our Cultural or Educational Programming. Make a difference with the NAF with a gift made in honor of a loved one or a legacy gift through your will. For more information, please contact NAF Development Manager Laura Rosenthal at lrosenthal@thenaf.org. |
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Save the Date: Netherland-America Friendship Gala 2023
March 30, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Guests at the 2022 Netherland-America Friendship Gala |
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Save the Date!
March 30, 2023
The Netherland-America Friendship Gala
A stylish black-tie dinner will take place on the SS Rotterdam, the former ocean liner of the Holland America Line, now moored in the port of Rotterdam.
This third edition of the black-tie NAF Gala will continue to celebrate Dutch-American relations and add to their personal ties of friendship. Your participation will directly support the NAF's educational and cultural programs and contribute to the high-impact exchanges between the Netherlands and the United States.
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Happening in the Chapters |
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NAF Biz-NY: Navigating Uncertainties
Tuesday, December 13, 2022
6:00-8:00 PM ET
Change is the only constant: After 2 years of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine became the main driver impacting geopolitics. We feel the consequences in everyday life. The trends for the next few years are not promising with the chaos in energy markets and recessions.
How do you navigate these uncertainties personally and professionally? In this NAF-Biz event, we will discuss how enterprises reboot teams by instilling mindsets that shift behavior and build entrepreneurial muscle in the workforce.
Speakers:
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Mesut Celebi, Founder & CEO of Growthstars, Executive Coach of Corporate Entrepreneurship, and Angel Investor
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Kevin de Wolf, President & CFO of Royal FrieslandCampina North America Region
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The Netherland-America Foundation Ball 2022: Oh, what a night!
The 41st Annual NAF Ball on November 18 brought together over 450 friends, supporters, sponsors, donors, and NAF students, as well our royal patrons HRH Princess Margriet of The Netherlands and Professor Pieter van Vollenhoven in the iconic Plaza Hotel in NYC.
It was an evening full of entertainment, fine dining, fundraising, and dancing, followed by the iconic Heineken nightclub where DJs HH Prince Floris van Oranje and Frank Houben shared their talents behind the turntable until closing time.
The generous gifts and contributions received at the Ball directly support our crucial education and cultural programs.
We are so grateful to our main corporate sponsors KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Heineken, our co-Chairs Dr. Marnix and Mary Heersink, as well as the countless corporate and individual sponsors and contributors who bought tables, tickets, donated to the silent auction, and more.
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Global Health Seminar Panel Encourages Private, Public & Health Sector Cooperation to Tackle Emerging Health Challenges
The NAF Ball Seminar, Global Health and Entrepreneurship: How Collaboration Between Business and Medicine Will Improve Global Health, was held on November 17 at the Harvard Club in New York City.
Before the engaging panel began, attendees heard remarks from HRH Princess Margriet who spoke eloquently about the need for raising awareness on the rise of antimicrobial resistance worldwide. The panel went on to discussed a variety of perspectives on tackling the most urgent global health challenges, including the risk of another pandemic, from a research and business perspective.
Thank you to our panelists and moderator: Mary Heersink; John Kelton, MD, FRCPC; Jenelle Krishnamoorthy, Ph.D.; Thomas de Vlaam; Sophie Zaaijer, PhD; Selwyn M. Vickers, MD, FACS; and Marthe H. Haverkamp, MD, Ph.D.
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The World Cup: NL vs. US
In a World Cup first, the Netherlands played the United States in a match on December 3. At the Netherland-America Foundation, we of course rooted for both countries!
At the NAF, we will be watching the "Oranje" team during their next game against Argentina on December 9 at 2:00 PM ET
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NAF SoCal Dutch American Heritage Day Party
The NAF SoCal Chapter celebrated Dutch American Heritage Day in Los Angeles last month at the California Club.
Dirk Janssen, Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for the 13 westernmost states of the US, provided a speech commemorating the strong historical ties between The Netherlands and the United States of America. Honorary Consul Reinout Oerlemans presented the first NAF BIZ Spotlight Award 2022 to XiltriX North America, recognizing and celebrating a Dutch company that has excelled in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship.
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NAF Students Meet and Greet
Current and former Fulbright students, Dutch2USA and USA2Holland interns, and study loan recipients met virtually in November to further their connections and get to know one another. Hosted by the chairs of the NAF Alumni Committees in both the Netherlands and the United States, the meeting showed a large diversity in the industries and interests represented by this group of students and alumni.
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NAF NorCal Beach Cleanup
Despite the rain and the cold, NAF NorCal held its 2nd annual Beach Cleanup on December 3 at Ocean Beach. In the background of the above photo, catch the Dutch windmill peeking through. Thanks to all who joined to help make our beaches cleaner!
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Holiday Reminder from the NAF |
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The NAF office will be closed starting Friday, December 23, 2022, at noon ET and reopen on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at 9 am.
We will be available in the interim to advise on any end-of-year donations, tax information, and membership inquiries.
We wish everyone happy holidays and a healthy New Year and look forward to a successful 2023 with our NAF community.
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As a member of the Netherland-America Foundation, you’re part of a premier community of leaders in the cultural, business, and political sectors with access to our network across the Dutch American community.
JOIN TODAY to help support the many programs and activities of the NAF and connect to your local NAF chapter.
If you are a current member of the NAF and wish to renew your membership, please click here.
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The Netherland-America Foundation
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