Lotte: 'It was because of my colleagues that I chose history in Leiden'
Her part-time job as a city guide in Dordrecht opened Lotte Hamm's eyes: not business administration, but history was her dream study. This semester she starts her bachelor's degree.
What was your childhood dream job?
'Lawyer or CEO. I always liked being in charge and dealing with numbers. Numbers certainly feature in the second job.'
Is that why you started studying business administration?
'I really thought about that choice for a long time. The breadth of the programme appealed to me and I found accountancy very interesting, so I was sure it was right for me. And then it turned out not to be. I tried the applied sciences variant, but it really wasn’t a good match. That was a very bitter pill. I was going to finish the right study without a gap year, wasn't I? Well, that’s not what happened.’
How did you become a city guide?
'I grew up in the centre of Dordrecht. My parents told me stories about the De Witt brothers or about houses in the city we passed. We also sometimes watched historical films. I thought that was really cool and I didn't understand why more people didn't know about history. So at the end of high school I went to an organisation and said I wanted to become a city guide. They really liked that, although in the end it didn't quite work out with my schedule. Fortunately, I was able to get a job at another agency.’
What makes the work so much fun?
'You can bring people closer together with it. In society today, there’s often a big distance between people. Of course, in my tour I talk about the less pleasant sides of the past, but I also emphasise all the positive things that have happened. The tolerance that has evolved, for example. That's how I try to create a sense of belonging and make people feel that we have to move forward together. I also really enjoy involving people in the tour: that way you make it more personal and I can still learn from others. I think sharing knowledge is one of the best things there is.'
So, history wasn’t such an obvious choice for you?
'I was so focused on business administration that I had forgotten the answer was right in front of my nose. In the end, two colleagues who are also studying history in Leiden helped me a lot. They told me how well they were taught, and how much you can do your own thing here, and I saw how far they were able to go with their interest in antiquity and American history. Then I thought: now I know.’
Do you have a favourite place in Leiden?
'I hardly know it at all yet, but do I know from Dordrecht that you can keep discovering new places and stories in a city. I hope to do the same in Leiden next year.'
Have you ever been given some really good advice?
'At the end of my first year in high school, my drama teacher said, “As long as you’re doing what you love, you’ll never have to worry about money.” When I started doing business administration, I ignored that statement for a while, but it's true. In the end, you can only follow your heart.'