Testimonials (The Garage)

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Testimonials (The Garage)

Students across diverse programs share their experiences.

Aiden Gibbons

I enjoyed The Garage because my strength probably is or was somebody else’s weakness and vice versa. If you know your group members and you use their skills, it definitely helps to work in a group. I also used to work with only other technical students, now I work with students from economic studies which was interesting. I learned that you cannot always choose your partners and you have to find a way to deal with any issues properly within the team, as you would in the real world.

Erwin Minderhoud

I really enjoyed my time at the HZ Garage. Working on real-life cases in a multicultural environment enabled me to improve my interpersonal skills, while also gaining valuable experience in problem-solving, client collaboration, and project management. Besides the work we did, the Garage also provided fun social activities, which improved group dynamics and made my days at the garage besides valuable also fun and exciting.

Fablendhy Joseph

My graduation internship at the HZ Studio – The Garage has been a transformative experience, helping me grow both personally and professionally. It pushed me to step outside of my comfort zone and take charge of the progress of my research. I developed strong interdisciplinary collaboration skills, learning to navigate different perspectives and work more effectively with others. Over time, I became more confident, organized, and disciplined with deadlines. I learned to take initiative, think ahead, and always be prepared with a backup plan when things didn’t go as expected. This experience was meaningful because of the support I received from my supervisors, colleagues, and fellow students. Their guidance, encouragement, and willingness ...

Harpinderjot

I’m doing my 3rd year internship at The Garage, and it has been a genuinely positive and supportive experience. One of the things that stood out the most to me is the overall environment and culture within the whole team. Everyone is approachable, open to sharing ideas, and willing to help whenever needed. People support each other which made it easier for me to settle in and feel comfortable from the beginning. The environment itself encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone.

During my internship, I have been working on the one project (Lost History) solving a problem for clients about the visibility of Vlissingen’s history. Alongside that, I also contribute in organising the Regeneration festival, and being in these projects felt new and exciting. In the beginning, I was more reserved and unsure about actively involving myself, but over time, I began to participate more, shared my thoughts and took initiatives. The fact that my input was taken seriously gave me the confidence to engage more in the daily activities.

Being surrounded by people who are motivated and supportive made this experience valuable. Not only it helped me grew professionally but it also shaped my confidence in stepping forward, taking ownership and being a part of the team.

Ivaylo Novakov

My time at The Garage helped me grow both as a student, but as someone working in a real team environment. Creativity was researched plus combined. I then turned those ideas into structured outcomes such as the innovation design package. Since I worked together with students from different backgrounds, the value of adapting as well as communicating clearly in addition to being open to new perspectives was shown to me. I was challenged via the projects, but I still learned to keep things practical working through complexity.

Katicia Frei

I made friends, met clients, and broadened my network. You have a lot of freedom to decide what you want to do, you are your own boss. Of course, you still work with instructions from the Garage but still, it wasn’t something that you are doing because you have to do it, it felt like it was more for ourselves. At the beginning, you could choose three projects that would suit you the best from a list of projects. They matched us with interesting projects and made the groups for those projects which was good. Even if a project did not seem interesting at first, later on, it turned out that it involves a lot of other interesting aspects.

Kevin Kommer

The flexibility and the support from the coaches was great. One of the highlights is that you work with people from different study backgrounds. That makes it interesting, to learn different perspectives but also provide some perspectives of my field of study. My highlight was that I could put my study background into the projects and help the clients. It’s interesting to see the different perspectives and ways of thinking. In the beginning, it can be an issue because some views can be different but that is also interesting. It also prepares for future work environments.

Lukáš Kollár

During my semester at the HZ Garage, I had the chance to work on two real-life projects, which provided me with great experience for the future. Working interdisciplinary helped me broaden my perspective on how others view various situations. I could also enhance my skills in creativity and collaboration with stakeholders. What made this time even more special was the supportive community we could build at the Garage. I'm thankful to everyone who contributed to this experience.

Mandy Verswijveren

I enjoyed the social committee activities that were being organized for all the students at the Garage. That also helped with making connections with the other students. My highlight was the City Marketing Vlissingen project. Just because you see that clients really appreciate what you do.

Nevena Yankova

Impact Lab Intern

During my third year of International Business, I completed my internship at HZ Studio The Garage, which turned out to be a highly valuable and formative experience. Throughout this period, I developed both professionally and personally by working in a dynamic, project-based environment. One of the key skills I gained was learning how to manage challenging team situations, where communication and collaboration were essential to achieving results. I also had the opportunity to connect with external partners and take on the role of a contact person, which strengthened my confidence and professional communication skills.

In addition, I was introduced to a variety of useful models and research techniques that I still apply today. These tools have been especially helpful for brainstorming, visualizing ideas, and developing innovative product concepts. The supervisors and teachers at The Garage played a crucial role in my experience—they were always supportive, understanding, and approachable. Their warm attitude and willingness to help in any situation created a safe and motivating learning environment.

Currently, as a fourth-year International Business student, I am completing my final internship at the Impact Lab. This experience is allowing me to explore new aspects of both the business and educational systems that I had not encountered before. I am continuously learning how to navigate more complex organizational structures and contribute to meaningful projects with a broader impact. Together, these experiences have significantly shaped my professional development and prepared me for my future career.

Nimo Driessen

I was very glad with the seriousness of the workplace but also with the community feeling. At the start, I was unsure and didn’t know anyone so I took my seat and started doing my work. But I noticed that the place is very well insinuated against noise pollution. That is what I enjoy and expect of a good workspace. Before, I was inexperienced in approaching people or asking for help from others. During the minor, I learned to work with others, learn from each other, ask for feedback, etc. I worried that I would screw up during a project, but during the minor, I worked off those worries. I also needed to step up and get out of my comfort zone and take the initiative and contact people, because otherwise, the project would not keep on going.

Querine Vogel

I truly loved my time at the Garage and Impact Lab. From day one, I felt welcomed and inspired by the open, creative, and forward-thinking atmosphere. Being part of this team gave me the chance to grow both personally and professionally.

Throughout my internship, I supported daily activities and played an active role in organizing the Changemaker Award and the official opening of the Impact Lab. It was exciting to be involved in such a meaningful event and to contribute behind the scenes—from planning and promotion to the logistics on the day itself.

The guidance and collaboration with the team helped me build more confidence, take initiative, and develop key skills like organization, communication, and problem-solving. I'm grateful for ...

Ronald Evers

I was used to working alone and now I learned how to better function in a group. To be able to respond to problems quickly and talk about them more openly with others. I like to talk about things that are going well and it was harder to talk about things that I found difficult and were not going well. In a group, it is important to talk and listen to others so that you can help each other.

Sterre Wattel

Communicating with stakeholders, for example, is something that really comes back in the professional career that I want to do. So that is something that is useful for the future. Other things were collaborating and taking the initiative. For example, in the Green Beach project, at one point there was not a lot of progress. I recognized it and decided to take the initiative so we could continue because it doesn’t happen on it’s own.