Board 2025-2026 "Keep Rising"
Natalia Bielecka
Chairwoman and Vice-Commissioner of Educational Affairs
Hi everyone!
My name is Natalia Bielecka, I am 20 years old, and originally from Białystok in Poland. Two years ago, I moved to Enschede to start my Bachelor in Industrial Engineering and Management, which I am still happily pursuing. This year, I have the honour of being the Chairwoman of our beautiful Study Association Stress! As Chairwoman, I will guide the board, represent our association, and make sure everything keeps running smoothly. Besides that, I will also be involved in Educational Affairs as a vice-commissioner, so don’t hesitate to ask if any questions arise regarding the IEM program.
My journey at Stress started with the Events Committee, where I got my first taste of organising fun activities and immediately started to love being active. Later, I joined the Stress Congress committee, where I had the chance to develop myself even more and get to know a lot of amazing companies. And last but not least, I also really enjoy singing in the Stress Band, which is always a lot of fun during our events! This whole journey taught me a lot and made me realise how amazing it is to work with so many enthusiastic people, that’s why I decided to join the board of Stress :)
Outside of Stress, I love staying active and trying out new things. You can often find me at the gym or doing CrossFit, skiing down slopes, sailing whenever I get the chance, or playing volleyball with my friends from my dispuut Paréa. Running is also a big hobby of mine, and last year I had a chance to run the Enschede half-marathon, which I definitely will participate in next year as well. On top of that, my biggest hobbies are ballroom and latin dance, and music in general. Also, occasionally, you might find me behind the bar, making cocktails instead of drinking them, when I decide to make use of my bartender’s license ;) Last year, I also became an auntie in a kick-in do-group Toeter, which was a wonderful experience full of partying, laughter, and memories, so I really look forward to participating in it next year as well!
I am really excited for the upcoming year, meeting new people, organising great events, and creating unforgettable moments together. So don’t hesitate to drop by the Stress room for a chat or join us at events. Let’s make it a year to remember!
Lennard Köhne
Secretary, Commissioner of Public Relations, Vice-Chairman and Commissioner of ICT
Hello everyone!
I’m Lennard, 20 years old, from Bremen, Germany. Two years ago I moved to Enschede to study Industrial Engineering & Management at the University of Twente, attracted by the English-taught program and the vibrant, campus community. I’m thrilled to dedicate the coming year to the 51st Board of Study Association Stress, serving as Secretary, Commissioner of Public Relations, Vice-Chairman, and Commissioner of ICT.
In my role as Secretary, I oversee internal and external communication, safeguard documentation, and help ensure our processes are clear, timely, and reliable. As Commissioner of Public Relations, I’m responsible for keeping our IEM and IBA members informed and engaged across all our channels email, social media, and the Stress App. Furthermore, I am also Commissioner of ICT and Vice-Chairman.
I first became active in Stress through the MediaCie, where I photographed, edited, and published event coverage. I then helped organize the 2025 Stress Congress, which hosted 25+ companies and received very positive feedback from partners and students alike. That experience deepened my interest in professional development for students and confirmed my decision to take on a board year.
Outside my studies, you’ll often find me in the Stress room, playing cards with friends and joining our events. I enjoy road cycling (never as often as I’d like), shifted from tennis to padel in recent years, and I’m an enthusiastic skier in the winter. Inspired by Stress’ participation in the Enschede Marathon, I completed the 10K last year and plan to pick up running again this year.
I’m genuinely excited for the year ahead and am looking forward to seeing you at the amazing events that we have planned!
Joost Op 't Veld
Treasurer and Vice-Commissioner of External Affairs
Hello everyone!
My name is Joost Op ‘t Veld, I am 20 years old and born in Amsterdam and raised in the beautiful village of Nieuw-Vennep in the west of the Netherlands. Three years ago I left this village and started my bachelor's in IEM. While this was the right study for me, I did need to start over in the second year. This year I will be pausing my studies and be the Treasurer of this beautiful study association. This means I am responsible for all the finances.
My activism at Stress started a long time ago, if you agree that hanging out with the board in the Stress room counts as being active in the association. However, being active for Stress in a committee started only last year in the Events Committee. This was a great committee for me since you are able to be creative and think of your own events as long as you make it happen. One of my fellow committee members last year was actually Tristan, the Commissioner of External Affairs of the coming year.
In my spare time I like to do all different kinds of sports, if I am not injured in some way. This always manly was playing field hockey, which I did since I was 4 years old until last year. However, nowadays, I am more focussed on running and biking. Which we will also hopefully do at Alpe D’Hues next year.
I am very proud to be the Treasurer and look forward to seeing all of you in the Stress room, I am a bit hidden in the corner, but don’t be afraid to come over and have a chat with me.
Maud Punte
Commissioner of Internal Affairs, Vice-Treasurer and Commissioner of SBZ
Heyyy!!!
My name is Maud, I’m 20 years old and this year I will be on the board of Stress. I was born in the beautiful village Lonneker, which is really close to Enschede. So, I decided to stay in Enschede and study IEM here. This year I’m the Commissioner of Internal Affairs, which means that I’m responsible for the active members.
My activism at Stress started in the PartyCie and we organised some fun parties. After the first year I joined the PilsCie. It was nice to organise so many drinks, like a Weizen Wednesday or a Kings night drink. Besides that, I also joined the KIDS committee, which was a great experience, and together with the committee, we organised an amazing Kick-In!
In my spare time I like to have fun with my friends or housemates. To stay fit I like to play tennis at Ludica, play a bit of padel and sometimes I go for a run. I also enjoy watching sports like tennis, F1 and football. Especially going to FC Twente in the beautiful Grolsch Veste with my friends is something I always really look forward to. On the Wednesday evenings, you can find me in the city centre in the High Five, with my fraternity SIGMA.
I’m really looking forward to the upcoming year, seeing all the members study and having fun in the Stress room, organising big events with each other, but most importantly, enjoying the year to its fullest. When you’re in the Stress room, don’t hesitate to have a little chat with me! See you!
Tristan Ettema
Comissioner of External Affairs and Alumni Relations
Hi everyone! My name is Tristan Ettema, and I am 20 years old. I was born and raised in the beautiful city of Enschede, so deciding to study here was fairly easy. Last year, I followed the second year of the IEM bachelor program, this year I decided to pause my studies for a year to become part of the 51st board of Stress. As Commissioner of External Affairs, I am responsible for managing all contacts with our partners and organising amazing career-related events for all members of the association. In addition to that, I am also the Commissioner of Alumni Relations.
For me, activism at Stress started last year. I was, together with treasurer Joost, part of the EventCie. We had a great time organising all sorts of events, such as the Christmas dinner, karting and a board game night. In this committee I learned a lot of organisational skills which I am going to use a lot in the upcoming year.
In my spare time, I am very passionate about sports. The sport I am most passionate about is korfball. I have spent countless hours on and around korfball fields, since both my parents also used to play. At the moment I play in the beautiful village of Vriezenveen, which is close to Almelo. Other than korfball I enjoy riding my race bike, running a bit and sometimes working out at the gym.
I am looking forward to seeing you in the Stress room and at the amazing events that are coming up!
Kirvy Avila
Commissioner of Educational Affairs, Vice Commissioner of Internal Affairs and Commissioner of International Affairs
Hi!
My name is Kirvy, I am 25 years old and this year I am part of the board of Stress. I was born in Panama City which is the capital of Panama, a small country in central America. I have quite some international experiences due to living in different parts of Europe. I lived in Switzerland for a year, In Ireland for two years and now the Netherlands for 3 years. This year I am the commissioner of Educational Affairs, which means that I am responsible for all education related topics. If you ever feel that something is going wrong or are so proud of how your studies are going, let me know. I’m happy to talk about pretty much anything!
My activism at Stress started by me joining the StressTrip committee. We planned a nice trip to Budapest where everyone had fun and had the chance to discover a country far away from the Netherlands. After that, I joined the KIDS committee which plans the study related Kick-In and on the side, I joined the Almanac committee in charge of creating and editing the yearbook of the association.
In my spare time I like to play some videogames, watch football (Hala Madrid!) or go running. I am currently preparing myself mentally to run the Enschede half marathon in April! Apart from staying at home having fun, I also like to travel when I have the time to Schiphol to see some airplanes. Otherwise, I enjoy spending time with friends whether drinking on a terrace or doing fun plans just to catch up with each other.
I’m looking forward to the coming year, specially within my function to support you in your studies and making it enjoyable. Furthermore, I’m looking forward to interacting with most of you in different events and overall having fun together this year. See you in the Stress room!
