Alexander van Osch came to NDSCS in a unique fashion and was only here for a short amount of time, but NDSCS is proud to count Alexander as a lifetime member of the Wildcat family. Read about his journey in his own words here:
“I studied “Installatietechniek” in the city of Eindhoven in the Netherlands, which is an education that lasts 4 years. In my final year, in 2010, I had the opportunity to go to the USA for the last six months of my education, to participate in extra classes and to gain more knowledge. That’s how my journey to the North Dakota State College of Science began. It was a great opportunity for me because I also love to travel the world, and it would be a great life experience. I left for Wahpeton, together with a Dutch classmate, after I passed my exams in the Netherlands. As a 19-year-old I arrived at the college. I was excited, but also nervous. It was an unknown environment, without any of my friends or family. But soon I felt right at home. My teacher, Mark Wood (HVAC), guided me well and showed me around the campus. The campus is very different from what I am used to in the Netherlands. We don’t have dorms at the same site as your classroom. In the Netherlands I traveled by train, one hour one way, to get to my classes, every single day, except for the weekend.
The lessons I attended were somewhat similar to the lessons I knew from back home. Of course, it was a challenge to switch to English and that I was used to the metric system, which is not commonly used in the USA. My estimations in temperatures and measurements were sometimes a bit off, but I learned quickly and nowadays I even benefit from it sometimes.
The greatest part about my time at NDSCS is that I have gained more knowledge about the refrigeration side of my work. Nowadays, I work at a climate and refrigeration company in the Netherlands, where I engineer the new systems. I have also broadened my knowledge beyond the European standard, which I certainly benefit from now.
As I was there, I also met a lot of new people, who became friends. After class we had a great time playing snooker or working out at the gym. There was always something to do. I remember practicing soccer (football) in the indoor running track during Winter!
At the end of my six months, I took my exam in America and I passed. Therefore, I also experienced the NDSCS graduation ceremony. It was, and still is, an honor to have studied at NDSCS and call myself a “Wildcat”. I proudly wear my NDSCS Wildcat shirts, and I talk about my time at NDSCS with full enthusiasm, because I hope to encourage young students to do the same and experience the same. If anyone gets the same chance, I really recommend them to take it. It was more than just a college to me because it’s an experience of a lifetime. You learn so much about yourself, from others and from the world.
This year, I came back to NDSCS after 13 years. I was invited to the 100th year celebration of Electrical Technology Reunion at NDSCS in May, 2023. This was another amazing experience. I had the chance to bring my wife and show her where I have been. She also got to meet Mark. We really enjoyed the reunion and felt very welcomed. Once again, it was an honor to come back and see everyone again. I hope to come back someday, once more.”
“Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat”
