Honorary Members
The Vegan Student Association Nijmegen owes a great debt to many people: committee members, committee chairs, board members, and other volunteers have worked tirelessly on many projects since the inception on March 22nd 2018. VSA Nijmegen recognizes that a few people have made exceptional contributions to the association. These people have been rewarded honorary membership by the members at a general assembly.
Tim
Crutzen
Tim is a Radboud University alumnus who now works as a policy maker for a political party at the national parliament in The Hague. Shortly before he graduated Tim had become increasingly disappointed with the poor quality of vegan food on campus. So he reached out online to fellow vegan students to try and get change going. He created the ‘Vegan Radboud’ initiative, a precursor to VSA Nijmegen. When he left Nijmegen in the summer of 2018, he introduced co-founders Rebecca and Paul to each other at a march for animal rights and passed the torch to them. He kept in contact with them in the early stages of the initiative and helped Rebecca and Paul set up the organization in an effective way. He played an active role in the very beginning in forming the basics that the association was founded upon later.
Appointed at the general assembly on September 15th, 2020.
Rhea
Elise
Rhea is a Radboud University alumna and a musician with a big passion for veganism. She has a way of getting organizations to sit down with her and talking about veganism, and this is also what she did for us. When co-founders Paul and Rebecca had just started organizing the potlucks, Rhea arranged for people from the Facilities and Services department of the RU to sit down with us and discuss how they could be more environmentally friendly, giving us the opportunity to discuss veganism with them as well. She also arranged a Vegan by Default working project at the Radboud Green Office, which led to a workshop for the cooks on plant-based food among other things. These actions have played a big part in the developments towards a more vegan-friendly campus that we can expand on with our association.
Appointed at the general assembly on September 15th, 2020.
Elena
Thönnessen
Elena is a Radboud University alumna who studied Psychology. During the 2018-2019 academic year, before VSA Nijmegen was officially founded, she was part of the ‘Vegan Radboud’ initiative, the precursor to VSA Nijmegen. When Rebecca and Paul got the opportunity to help improve vegan catering on campus, Elena took over organizing the monthly potlucks. If there had been a board during ‘year zero’, Elena Thönnessen would surely have been on it. As it happened, Elena left Nijmegen the year VSA was officially founded. By granting Elena honorary membership, the association recognizes the important role Elena played during the formative period before we were officially founded.
Appointed at the general assembly on September 21st, 2021.
Elena
Freudenberg
Elena was a philosophy student at the Radboud University. She is one of the founding members, together with Paul van Gent and Rebecca van Eijden. She was the president of the very first board, and therefore the very first face of vegan students in Nijmegen. Her calm, friendly, and funny personality no doubt helped many vegan students feel welcome in the association. While Elena is no longer very active within the VSA, she was essential in starting the VSA off so strongly. To thank her for her part, we have decided to give Elena honorary membership.
Appointed at the general assembly on September 28th, 2022.
Rebecca
Van Eyden
Rebecca is a master student in environment & society studies at the Radboud University. She is one of the founding members of the VSA, together with Elena Freudenberg and Paul van Gent. Her passion for veganism and creating community becomes very clear in the fact that she has called the VSA ‘her baby’ multiple times. This is not unjustified, however: after founding the VSA she was in the board for two years, first as secretary, then as president. After her board years, she joined the first Advisory Council and stayed in the Outreach Committee. She is still active in both of these, and is still helping us this way. With her honorary membership, we want to acknowledge her tremendous effort and passion for the VSA, which makes it what it is today.
Appointed at the general assembly on September 28th, 2022.
Paul
Van Gent
Paul is working on their master’s degree in linguistics at the Radboud University. They are one of the founders of the VSA, together with Elena Freudenberg and Rebecca van Eijden. After founding, the three of them became the first board of VSA Nijmegen. As treasurer, they fulfilled many administrative tasks needed for starting an association. After the first board, Paul stayed as treasurer in the second board. After these two years, they left the board, but not before starting and joining the Advisory Council, which they are still on. In this role, and in other ways, they helped later boards of the association, up until this day. To acknowledge all their work for the association, we have given Paul honorary membership. Without their work, the VSA would not exist the way it does today.
Appointed at the general assembly on September 28th, 2022.