My name is Nancy Van den Broeck and I what they call a class migrant, also know as a first gneral professional.
I grow up in a single parent househould. My father left us when I was 1 year old and never returned. I also have a brother with a low IQ due to oxyden deprivation during birth. Having no father and having an unemployed mother without a degree, having an handicapped brother and seeing the impact of having no degree and being unemployed I decided that I would break with the poverty by obtaining a higher education. I managed to obtain a master degree at the Catholic University of Leuven.
Even with a master degree first generation professionals experience many roadblocks: it is harder to find a decent job because you have no network and no parents or family who can guide and support you trhough the process. Once your are on the workfloor, you do not know how to influence and play the political game that often comes along with higher positions. As a result first generaton professionals will often have problems with career advancements and they get stuck unable to advance or make a promotion.
I would like to obtain an Executive MBA because this will enlarge my network and give me the tools to either take a different path or to advance my career in the industry that I am working in. My wish is to finally be able to finacially support my mother and my brother so they have proper food, clothing, can live in a decent house etc...
Due to my background I am not able to finance my eduational dream. I have applied for a diversity scholarship at Vlerick, the business school that I am admitted too. I hope to win this scholarship and raise the rest of the enrollment fee by this means.
If you would fund me, I will keep you informed of the outcome of my executive MBA at Vlerick and my next steps in my career through a blog. If you fund me, you are not only helping me but also my mother and brother who does not receive any support from the governement as a low IQ of 70 is not condisidered a handicap.