This week in our Sharing Stories series, we hear from Tom Blasman, an International Sports Management and Business student, who is also a professional ultimate frisbee player.

“Live your life the way you want to. Do not feel forced into any decisions. Make sure you are doing and will do things that make you excited.” 

I joined AICS in Group 6 and I graduated from DP 2. So I was in the school for nine years, before graduating in 2021 from DP 2.

Straight away when finishing DP at AICS I went to do the Bachelor’s in, International Sport Management and Business at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam. I started in September 2021 and surprisingly found myself studying with another AICS graduate (Lourenco de Oliveira Martins), who was in my class and became a good friend.

Currently I am doing an internship at Lymb.io in Munich. I have been here since the middle of August this year and I am staying here until February 2025. In spring 2025 I am hoping to go to the USA or Canada to play professional ultimate frisbee and complete my graduation internship there. I have been representing the Netherlands for the sport since I was 14 (2017). I am looking forward to playing in the big leagues across the big pond and after that playing the World Club Championships in 2026.

Some of my best memories from the AICS come from the relationships I had with mentors and teachers. The relationships between students and teachers was unmatched with anything else I have seen. I can not thank Tom Sikkes (along with many other teachers) enough for putting up with me and being so great throughout my whole process.

My advice for current AICS students is: Live your life the way you want to. Do not feel forced into any decisions. Make sure you are doing and will do things that make you excited. Yes, school and university/work are important and you should take good care of your professional development, but a work-life balance is very important. Make sure you find your own way that makes you happy.