I WILL Journey
We have been inspired to read your I WILL Journey applications telling us what you have done to implement your I WILL, what you have learned and how you will impact yourself and others!
Start your I WILL Journey!
We have now selected the Champions that we think excelled in doing their best to put their I WILL statement into practice, and they have been notified of the tailored prizes that include mentoring and training sessions to help them implement their plans even further.
Read about them here.
The six champions, one from each category, will receive training, mentorship and networking opportunities – whatever helps them further implement their I WILL. Moreover, we will also offer support during the Journey with training, workshops and access to alumni networks!
What you could win
Our Champions that have excelled in showing their ambition, impact and results by putting their I WILL into action have been notified of the tailored prizes they have won to boost their continued learning and self-development.
Our Champions are leading examples of putting an I WILL into action – people who have not only thought through the implementation of their I WILL statement, but who have also put their idea into practice.
Read about them here.
Benefit Packages
Each of the six Champions will be given a package of benefits based on their needs to further execute activities related to their I WILL statement, and according to the budget and further resources that RSM has allocated for supporting them. Champions will be invited to meet RSM’s Corporate Marketing and Communications department to discuss the content of their benefit package. Details are stated in the rules and regulations.
Benefits packages can contain:
- Publicity: exposure on RSM’s social media channels, in RSM’s publications and on RSM’s website according to the RSM policy for content distribution, and according to your plan for implementing your idea, and your need to reach a specific network.
- Profile video created by Erasmus Enterprise
- Mentoring: we will meet your mentoring needs from our RSM MentorMe community
- Networking: access to appropriate RSM events, RSM workshops, networking, and seminars.
Coaching and training such as participation in Entrepreneurial Awakening sessions, RSM Executive Education courses, or a one-hour MarCom consultation with Erasmus Enterprise.
Benefits during your Journey
Our Champions that have excelled in showing their ambition, impact and results by putting their I WILL into action have been notified of the tailored prizes they have won to boost their continued learning and self-development.
Our Champions are leading examples of putting an I WILL into action – people who have not only thought through the implementation of their I WILL statement, but who have also put their idea into practice.
Read about them here.
Publicity and exposure
Tell us what you encounter during your I WILL Journey! We have reporters looking out for the most interesting, unusual or inspiring examples and we feature these on our social media channels. This is your opportunity to get your message out and reach more people in the wider RSM community.
Do you want to be featured with your I WILL and your Journey? Sign up and we will be in touch!
Training to give a good pitch
Creating a good pitch will help you make your ambition and goals clearer to yourself – and it makes it easier to know how to ask for help and resources. We will have 50 places on an online pitch training session hosted by Pitch Academy to give away to people who convince us on why a pitch training would benefit their Journey. The training session is run by one of our own I WILL Get in the Ring winners Thom Uildriks. He became a Dutch champion in pitching, and is now training students and executives from all kinds of organisations in pitching.
Do you think you deserve one of these places because you are serious about your I WILL Journey? Do you think pitch training will help you in achieving your I WILL?
Sign up and we will be in touch. We’ll choose the 50 applications with the best motivations to win a seat in the pitch training session. If you’re one of them, you will be contacted with details about joining our online pitch training.
Masterclasses and workshops by Erasmus Enterprise
Erasmus Enterprise is a collaborative community on campus at Erasmus University Rotterdam, dedicated to empowering visionary entrepreneurs. Their unique ecosystem combines the best, multi-disciplinary expertise from EUR and TU Delft, as well as regional investment funds, in one central location – the EUR Woudestein Campus. Erasmus Enterprise brings together the know-how, resources, and networks of Erasmus Research and Business Support (ERBS), Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship (ECE), and Tech Incubator YES!Delft, in a single community.
During the I WILL Journey, Erasmus Enterprise has offered participants opportunities for networking and gaining knowledge. Erasmus Enterprise hosted workshops for I WILL Journey participants and organised master classes taught by Erasmus University Rotterdam alumni on interesting topics for entrepreneurs.
Achieve your I WILL at RSM
Use your willpower to start your I WILL Journey. Or learn from becoming an ambassador or a coach.
I DO Leadership
I DO Leadership is a course run in collaboration between a student boards, coaches and professors. There are lots of student positions in team-based work with NGOs that maximizes impact and learning. See the I DO pages for more about what you can add to the I DO initiative! You could be the next board member or one of the I DO coaches!
Positive Change
With its mission to be a force for positive change in the world, RSM has firmly established its reputation over almost 50 years as one of Europe’s most international and innovative business schools. Do you want to be a force for positive change too?
Or get in touch at positivechange@rsm.nl.
- Find out what you can do as an SDG ambassador, how as a student gain a mentor or as an alumnus you could become a mentor, how you could support scholarships, or how you could contribute to RSM’s Impact Fund.
- Join our community service programme! RSM has partnerships with ‘local heroes’ in a community service programme in and around Rotterdam to facilitate making change in the city and to support our community partners by increasing their local impact. It is a way for us to put our organisational values into action.
- Do you need money to have your idea funded? Consider applying for the Hummingbird Fund.
Privacy notice and consent
For the purpose of the I WILL Journey as described previously, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) will process your personal information. RSM will generate and record data about your participation according to your application form.
Processing purposes
The personal information that you provide may be processed or used as follows:
- Submission, selection and reward purposes for the I WILL Journey:
- Determining if you meet the eligibility criteria for the I WILL Journey.
- Participation in benefits provided during the I WILL Journey for people who signed up for these (as described under "Benefits during your journey").
- Selection of the maximum 18 participants who will be shortlisted in the I WILL Journey.
- The decision process to select the six Champions according to the I WILL Journey Taskforce.
- Provision of six tailored prizes (e.g. mentoring, training sessions) to help the Champions put their I WILL statement into practice and to help them further implement their plan.
- Marketing and communication purposes for the I WILL Journey activities. If you have questions about the usage of your data in our marketing and communications activities, please email iwill@rsm.nl
Categories of personal data
RSM will process data supplied via this form only as far as it is necessary for the purposes mentioned above. This data may include your biometric data (e.g. your I WILL photo); racial or ethnic data (e.g. your nationality); and other personal data as part of the I WILL Journey (collectively, your I WILL data). Specifically, your I WILL data include your first and last name, phone number, email address, relation to the school (student/alumnus/staff/other), study programme (if applicable), your I WILL photo(s), your I WILL Statement and your motivation and reasoning behind your statement including your vision on how you’d like to implement it.
The I WILL Embassy and the I WILL Journey Taskforce will treat your submission with utmost care; only those people who are involved in the selection will have access to your answers.
Data sharing
Personal data will be shared with RSM’s selected third parties for the purposes of providing applicants with benefits, rewards, and prizes. This happens when you register for the benefits during the Journey; for Champions, this happens when they have been chosen. Our selected third parties provide some data processing services as a part of their agreements and contracts with RSM. RSM makes these contracts and agreements with third party processors to ensure that personal data is handled confidentially and with due care.
Personal data will not be leased, sold or shared in any way, nor will it be provided to other third parties. RSM may share individuals’ personal data with third parties only if it is granted specific permission by the individual, if it is required by law, or if this is necessary for the execution of the agreement.
In some cases, third parties may be located outside of the European Union. In these cases, RSM will take appropriate measures to protect personal data.
Individual rights
RSM will retain your I WILL data until 30 August 2030. You have the right to rectification, inspection, data portability and erasure of your personal data in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. For further information please read RSM’s privacy policy.
The Champions
The Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) I WILL Journey selection board have revealed their Champions! After having received wonderful and worthy applications for the I WILL Journey, two journeys stood out strongly. Let’s take a moment to congratulate Hugo Valdivia, RSM alumnus (Fulltime MBA 2013) and Benedikt Albertsen, current RSM BSc International Business student (2023), on becoming I WILL Journey Champions.
As I WILL Journey Champions, Hugo and Benedikt will receive a benefit package that can include mentoring, training, publicity and entrance to RSM events. The exact contents of the benefit package are tailored to the needs of each Champion, ensuring they can further execute the activities related to their I WILL statement.
Why they were chosen
Both Hugo and Benedikt stood out to the I WILL Journey jury because they both have been actively achieving their I WILLs – during their Journey. They have proven that they are bringing their ambitions into reality through their projects. Even though Hugo’s project is just getting started, he clearly demonstrates his tremendous spirit of initiative. He shows a viable path to take his I WILL from concept to pilot to realisation. Benedikt has a personal development story and journey that has close ties to the world of business and business education. In that way, his ideas are applied in a relevant environment.
Hugo Valdivia
“I WILL contribute to the development of my hometown, Chiclayo”
RSM MBA Alumnus and founder of the Silentus app, Hugo’s I WILL Journey surrounds the development of his hometown, Chiclayo, Peru. Chiclayo is in severe municipal crisis, and the biggest issue is the collection and management of household waste. For this reason, Hugo has taken it upon himself to research, assess and implement a pilot project to help the citizens of Chiclayo gain other options for their waste disposal and recycling.
Benedikt Albertsen
“I WILL fight injustice with justice”
Benedikt, set to graduate in 2023 from RSM with a BSc in International Business, is focused on fighting climate change and inequality. Benedikt’s I WILL Journey has combined those two with the foundation of, SAROWA, a start-up company inspired by the principles of Nigerian Ogoni tribesman Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa. SAROWA upcycles overshoot fabrics from the fashion industry that have been tossed into landfills. His company repurposes those fabrics into unique, sustainable products. Additionally, every person working for SAROWA receives a fair wage for their efforts.
