The cat is out of the bag! This Summer, 11 fresh graduates will wrap their heads around Link in de Kabel’s challenge. Together with our coaches, they will try to come up with solutions to leverage the potential of digital products for people with autism disorder. Meet the 12-headed team of Summer Academy 21!
Annelies is a spontaneous and sociable person with a talent for chit-chatting. Her studies in interaction design and education reflect her passions and the will to design for educational purposes. As an interaction designer, she never loses the user’s well-being and experiences out of sight.
Gaétan is a 23-year-old with a passion for connecting people and technology. As a jack-of-all-trades, he's finishing his studies in Applied Informatics while working partially as a Business Analyst and giving coding lessons. But wait, there's more. When Gaétan isn't behind his computer screen, he's probably out training for an Ironman in Poland or just enjoying a terrace in the sun. His strong point for Summer Academy? Translating technical know-how into human language, and vice versa.
This smiling chosen one goes by the name of Valentine. Nearly graduated as a Graphic Designer, she’s ready for working out a concept together with an equally enthusiastic team. Putting theory into practice is Valentine’s cup of tea, and she doesn’t fear thinking outside the box. After hours, you can find her at concerts and festivals or out for a run with rock music banging through her headphones.
Sarah is a nearly-graduated Industrial Engineer in Electronics. Her long career in scouting and volunteering taught her to exchange ideas, work closely together and take up responsibility. She loves working with and for people, mostly when it involves digital applications and electronics. One thing to remember? You can’t break her positive attitude.
Say hi to Tim! This soon-to-be graduated interaction/ UX design student cruises with ease through design and programming processes. He loves to realise the most eccentric concepts, built to make people’s life a bit better. His creativity also thrives in his other passion: skateboarding. After 10 years of doing flips, grabs and grinds, he knows what it is to try, fall, stand up again and succeed. No doubt he’ll kickflip over this challenge in a matter of days.
Thomas is one of the future specialists of strategic marketing management with a heart for technology and sports. He’s impatient to get to know new people and collaborate on a solution that really impacts the lives of people on the autism spectrum. Thomas likes to see things from the user perspective, as it’s the only way to make a digital product as good as it gets.
Meet Kate, the 22-year-old commercial engineer in business informatics with a burning passion for marketing. She may sound pretty analytical, but don’t be mistaken. She fulfils her creative side by playing the piano and dancing around. Het strong point for Summer Academy? Drop a challenge before Kate’s nose, and she won’t let go until it is resolved and the result is pitch-perfect.
The next master in New Media & Society will definitely be Arno. Even before his studies, Arno had a special interest in technology and media, more specifically in television and AI. Implementing technology as a tool to build a digital product that meets the needs of the end-user is Arno’s bread and butter. Besides his studies, Arno stays true to his skateboard, his main outlet next to meeting friends and discovering new music.
Specialist in Web & Mobile Development and Software Development Ruben joins the team! If that’s not technical enough, Ruben likes to dig a little deeper into Network Infrastructure and automatic workflows. Still, he finds the time to commit himself to Chiro and the local youth council. No doubt, a huge asset at this year’s Summer Academy.
This inquisitive and enthusiastic young lady is always looking for new challenges that she can throw herself completely at. She likes to be around people and likes to create in the broad sense of the word. Both from the artistic and emotional point of view as from the more technical and rational aspects. Her sparkling enthusiasm is contagious and will affect the whole team, guaranteed. That’s Katrien for you!
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Ziggy - we love the name - is a 23 year-old developer from Lokeren. He’s currently on the home stretch to finish his studies in applied information technology at HOGENT. In his spare time, Ziggy loves to travel and exercise. He’s keen to keep up with new technologies by trying out new ideas or finding new challenges to develop. A great characteristic to join Summer Academy, we would say.
What can we say? Glad to have a stellar squad who will shine their brightest light on Link in de Kabel's challenge. Good luck, boys and girls!