2012-2013

 

Larisa Leeuwe

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About me

My name is Larisa Leeuwe and I am a 22-year old law student. I was born in Holland but raised on the beautiful island of Aruba. I have a mixed heritage of Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Aruban, Chinese and Surinamese.

 

History
I was born on January 24th in 1991 in Amersfoort, Holland. Less than one year later, my parents decided to move back to Aruba, where my mother was born and raised. Growing up on a small island paradise, made me realize my love for people, nature, and a strong desire to pursue a career as a lawyer.

 

The people in Aruba had and still have that friendly attitude towards life and each other. There is a certain rhythm that fits well with the weather, and with the state of mind. It is a perfect place for calm and peace.

 

Growing up, I have always loved sports, especially watersports, since my parents own a watersport company in Aruba. Also, I started dancing at 5 years old. I started playing tennis and horseback riding when I was 11 and practicing martial arts (kung-fu and later pencak-silat). I’ve always had a strong bond with my parents and 2 brothers, so we practiced most of these sports together. Because family bonds are a link to our beginning and a guide to our future, these early influences were fundamental to my individual development.

 

Education
In Aruba I attended Mon Plaisir School (elementary school) grades 1-6 and Colegio Aruba (high school) grades 7-10. In 2008 (17 years old) I moved to Holland to continue my studies. There I followed a 2-in-1 year program that allows students to finish 11th and 12th grade in 1 year. I successfully graduated from high-school with a VWO-diploma in nature and health, and an extra economics course. My favorite and highest scored courses were always math, biology and chemistry. Nevertheless I decided to study Management, Economics and Law at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam in the Netherlands. During the first year, I realized my passion for law and decided to continue studying law at the University of Aruba. I am currently in my first year and in 2 years I will have completed my bachelor degree.