2. Willy de Heer

I have lived in Leiden for decades and nothing could make me leave. I think Leiden is a very nice city to live in, and I feel strongly connected to it. I also married Martin in Leiden Town Hall. Our three children, who are now adults, were born and raised here.

I have a wide range of interests and, partly as a result, have gained a wealth of experience (in both study and work). After working in healthcare in the Leiden region, I held various positions in the field of information provision. One of these was in the Municipal Fund department of the Ministry of Finance. After retraining and working as a teacher, I researched why pupils get stuck in education. I am now an independent researcher, trainer and virtual reality game developer in the fields of education and healthcare. My experience in healthcare, education and policy helps me to come up with integrated solutions.

My mission? To contribute to the optimal development of pupils and students.

Motivation

I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to develop. There are too many children and young people who fall through the cracks, even in Leiden. Just think of the many dropouts from education, the high percentage of children and young people with mental health problems and suicidal thoughts. In Leiden, we are following the national trend in this regard. I have often seen and experienced this in practice. It is clear that this has major consequences for those involved, their environment and society as a whole.

I firmly believe that everyone should have the opportunity to develop. I was given that opportunity and seized it. Opportunities that my parents did not have due to circumstances.

Goal

The Netherlands has committed itself to legislation and treaties that stipulate that everyone should have the opportunity to develop. To achieve this, it is necessary to reverse the negative sentiment in society. We must start listening to each other again instead of (literally) throwing bombs at each other when we disagree. We must start seeing each other again instead of railing against each other on social media. And finally, we must learn to empathise with each other again by not focusing solely on our differences, but by seeing and appreciating our common goals. After all, we don't always have to agree with each other, but we do have to treat each other with respect.

My motivation? A society in which everyone counts and can participate.