FAM History

In 2016 and 2017, a group of VU students embarked on an exchange program focusing on belonging and academic success at UCLA. They observed a warm and fruitful sense of community among students on campus, a sentiment noticeably absent in Dutch academia. Upon their return to VU Amsterdam, they were determined to address the issues surrounding belonging and academic achievement, aiming to foster an environment where the diverse student body of VU could thrive. In 2018, the student initiative known as VU Family officially commenced as a two-year project under the Students-4-Students campaign (S4S) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science, in collaboration with ECHO. The founders of VU Family are shown above.

FAM Board III | 2023 – 2024:

Chair: Francys Gavirias Aldas
Secretary: Chiara Ceder
Treasurer: Soulaiman Kherazi
Commissioner of Internal Affairs: Angelique Doornbos
Commissioner of External Affairs: Samuel Kassa
Commissioner of Public Relations: Ngasholy Henriette

FAM Board II | 2022 – 2023:

Chair: Berk Çakmak
Secretary: Sam de Bont
Treasurer: Mengalvio Dompig
Commissioner of Internal Affairs: Maryam El Soudany
Commissioner of External Affairs: Haniye Mehrabi
Commissioner of Public Relations: Pascale Lieuw Kie Song

FAM Board I | 2021 – 2022:

Chair: Maricristy Caceda Foglia
Secretary: Anisha Jahangir
Treasurer: Tyriq Burnett
Commissioner of Internal Affairs: Fadoua Abou
Head of the Family Committee: Parwana Rezai
Commissioner of Public Relations: Tahira Mohammad

FAM Founders | 2018 – 2021

Drs. Sehida Begovic: Dentist and PhD candidate
Drs. Sarah Osman: Physician
Sergio Soeroredjo: Operation engineer ING Bank
Danny Soekarnsingh: Civil Servant at the Municipality of Amsterdam
Ergün Çelik: Project Manager Officer at Boertien Vergouwen Overdu