The team behind “Together for a Diploma”
“Together for a Diploma” is led by a team of motivated EVA bxl colleagues. We’d like to introduce one of them to you in each newsletter. This time, we’re featuring the two main leaders: Ine Vos, initiative developer, and Jasmine Emba, volunteer coach. They’ll tell you who they are, what they do specifically, what motivates them within “Together for a Diploma,” and what their initial experiences have been working at the EVA bxl social lab. “Together for a Diploma” is being developed within EVA bxl.
My name is Jasmine, and I’ve been a volunteer coach at Samen voor een Diploma for a few months now. When I started here, it felt like I’d found the right place. Today, I get to help build something that I myself once needed.
My days are very varied. I conduct intake interviews and coach volunteers, recruit and match students with mentors, give information sessions at schools, and organize training sessions, activities, and peer support sessions. But behind all these tasks, there’s always the same question for me: how can we make students feel like they’re not in this alone?
That really hits close to home for me. As a first-generation student, I used to have to figure a lot of things out on my own. What choices do you make? Where do you find information? Who can help you when you’re unsure? These are questions I recognize in many students I meet today. That’s exactly why I believe so strongly in the power of a mentor: someone who listens, thinks along with you, and makes you feel that you don’t have to carry everything on your own.
One moment that has stayed with me was the story of a mentor who noticed that her student was struggling. She looked beyond grades and deadlines and stood up for his personal well-being. That might seem like a small thing, but for that student, it made a world of difference. It reminded me that true support often starts with genuine attention to the person behind the student.
Looking back on my first few months at Samen voor een Diploma, I feel nothing but gratitude. Here, I feel like a butterfly that has been given the space to grow, explore, and spread its wings. Every day, I learn something new—not only about my work, but also about the impact that small gestures can have.
And that might just be what I love most about “Samen voor een Diploma”: it’s not just about studying or passing exams. It’s about people helping each other grow. I’m proud that, as a volunteer coach, I get to be a small part of that every day.
My name is Ine, and I work as an initiative developer at Samen voor een Diploma. When I started here a year ago, it immediately felt like home: a place where my love for Brussels, my belief in opportunities, and my passion for connection all come together.
Brussels has been my home for more than 25 years. The diversity, creativity, and also the inequality you see here every day have shaped me. In my previous jobs, I learned how powerful it is when different sectors come together and people support one another. I draw on that experience here every day.
My work is very varied. While Jasmine, as a volunteer coach, works closely with the pairs, I mainly work behind the scenes to further develop “Samen voor een Diploma.” I listen to stories from students and mentors, translate needs into new ideas, test and refine our five-pillar support model, and connect colleges, organizations, and policymakers. I ensure that our model continues to grow and that we become stronger as a movement. Using EVA bxl’s 5I model as my compass, I keep learning, adjusting, and trying again. Behind all these tasks, there’s always the same question for me: how do we ensure that talent isn’t lost?
The past year has been intense and inspiring. I met students who continue to persevere despite major challenges, and mentors who stand by them with incredible warmth. But I also met dedicated teachers, program advisors, and partners from colleges and other institutions who are helping to build a more inclusive education system. These encounters remind me why this work is so important: real change begins with people who see and support one another.
What do I like best? That “Together for a Diploma” is about more than just studying. It’s about people, about opportunities that open up. It’s about a city that can become more equitable when we truly give talent room to grow.
I look forward to making our students’ voices heard even more strongly in the future—through an annual forum, an ambassador program, and by continuing to advocate for equal educational opportunities at the policy level. And, together with all stakeholders, to truly put that shared responsibility for the right to lifelong learning into practice. I am grateful to be able to contribute to this every day.