Mark quickly realised he didn't want to become a farmer; now he works as a Software Developer at Nedap

"That's right. I'm from Weerselo. My parents have a farm there, which my younger brother is taking over. I've always been more inclined towards technology. That's why I chose to study Biomedical Technology. Not because I found the medical aspect particularly interesting, but because the program included subjects like physics, chemistry, biology, and electrical engineering, which appealed to me."

"During my studies, I came across the Nedap University program and thought maybe that's something for me. Sometime later, someone in my LinkedIn network pointed out the program to me. That's when I thought, I should pursue this. I got an interview at Nedap, took a technical test, and got hired. That was in November 2016. When the program ended, I became a permanent employee at Nedap."

"At Nedap Security Management, we develop access systems for buildings and similar structures. You'll find our systems at airports, in the European Parliament, or at De Grolsch Veste stadium. As software developers, we pay close attention to the customers' needs. We think about how to design the system, how to set it up, how it can be maintained, but also whether it's scalable and secure. Of course, programming software is also part of the job, but it only takes up a small portion of my time."

"It's great! I find the products we make and the market we operate in very interesting. It's exciting to work for a company that operates internationally. Furthermore, Nedap provides opportunities for personal development, and I have a lot of freedom in my role. Our CEO sometimes says: you're a Nedap employee 24/7, but you're also a private individual 24/7. If something needs to be done here, you have to be there. But if there's something private, there's certainly room for that, too."

"Definitely. If my brother calls in the spring needing help with silaging the grass, he can call me. For Nedap, it's not a problem if I temporarily put my work aside. They're not so strict about keeping track of hours and vacation days here."

I'm on the village council and serve on the board of the football club, UD Weerselo. I willingly make time for it. Moreover, I find it enjoyable and incredibly enriching. On top of that, I enjoy hunting and spend my weekends working for a tree nursery in Saasveld, purely as a hobby."

"Absolutely. I can't see myself working in the West anytime soon. I live here, and my entire social life is here. Almost all my friends live nearby. So yes, I'm quite attached to Twente. Working in the east of the country is a natural consequence of that."