Jana Heitkemper

During her degree programme, Jana Heitkemper achieved impressive grades, but the jury was impressed not so much by her steady intellectual development, but above all by her commitment to the faculty as well as her great social involvement. As a student in the Global Responsibility and Leadership degree programme, she has not only become theoretically proficient, but has also put into practice what this degree programme aims to do, namely to take the lead in all kinds of sustainability activities. She was active both in and outside the faculty. For example, within the faculty she was involved, through the Green Office, in promoting clothing swaps as a responsible alternative to the very unsustainable current fashion industry.
Outside the faculty, she has worked for the international youth movement Friday for Future (FvF). This movement encourages awareness of climate change and Jana, with some of her fellow students, was responsible for setting up a local FvF chapter in Leeuwarden. During her student years, Jana developed a passion for programming. She also applies this passion to a project where apps and web-based games are developed, aimed at making society more aware of the importance of sustainability.
Jana would like to take this further and will use the GUF-100 award money for further development in the field of programming. In addition, she will also organize workshops for female students in particular, within the framework of the Django Girls organization, created by two Polish women.