Hanneke Schreur-Errayes

We’ve had several families who’ve remained in our community for decades, and we’ve had the honor to watch their children grow from their first to last years at our school and beyond into their university and career paths. The Schreur family, arriving in 1991, brought their seven kids into our education system. Hanneke Schreur-Errayes joined our school in Kindergarten and continued through her graduation in 2011. In her studies, she had a math and science focus and took corresponding AP Courses. She was part of the volleyball, soccer, and basketball teams, participated in Model United Nations, and was secretary in our student council.

Following graduation, Hanneke studied law at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, receiving her undergraduate degree and going on to obtain her master’s degree in corporate law. After, she attended Oxford University to receive her second master’s degree in law, graduated summa cum laude, and is now a lawyer. “I specialize in corporate law – litigation and arbitration. I work at a law firm, so in-house. I’ve worked at two different law firms at this point. It’s always company-to-company disputes about literally anything.”

Hanneke says in her time here, “the school taught me a lot about work ethic. It’s hard to think back to that time because you’re growing simply because you’re growing older… The reality is you’re going through puberty. I would look back on that time in my life as a challenging time, but the teachers tried to do what they could to support.” She says she still has some contact with a teacher who was like a mentor to her, and she’s kept in contact with several friends who even attended her wedding. “So, lifelong friends came out of TIS. We’re fourteen years later, and we’re still in contact.”

Hanneke and her friends each came from different cultural backgrounds, as is so often found in our community. “It’s an international environment in terms of opening up your worldview, and meeting a lot of different people makes you a kind person because you’ve seen more differences. You’re taught to accept that.”

Though now returned to the Netherlands, Hanneke says she wishes she’d recognized the value of the surrounding Chinese culture and language. “That can be a huge asset in your future,” she says. “For the rest of your life, you tell anyone you were in China, they consider it an asset that you know the culture or even speak a little bit, and I think I totally disregarded that when I was actually here.”

She encourages current students to embrace the language and culture, and for students on the path to graduation, she advises them to enjoy their university experience. “Your student years are the last bit of freedom that you get to explore life and not take yourself so seriously. You don’t need to be making a living yet as a student. You’re free from some responsibilities when you’re still a student.”

Thank you, Hanneke, for visiting our school again! Once an Eagle, always an Eagle!