Six years ago, in the heart of the bustling Erasmus University campus, a love story came full circle. Clarissa and Maarten, two ambitious MBA graduates who first crossed paths in the Bayle building, six years prior, returned to the place where it all began. Not as students, but as a married couple, ready to capture the moment in their wedding photographs.

“We wanted it to be meaningful,” explained Clarissa, a Brazilian engineer who arrived in the Netherlands just days before the MBA programme kicked off. “We wanted a reason to be here.”

For Maarten, a Dutch native, the decision to return to RSM for their wedding photos was equally significant. “It was an anchor for us,” he said. “We did a lot of things at RSM in those years.”

Their story begins on a Saturday morning, at a social event organised for the new MBA cohort. Clarissa, running late after a difficult journey to the Netherlands, entered the room to find Maarten, then the vice president of the Student Association, holding court.

“I was there with a jacket explaining about life in Rotterdam and what to do,” Maarten recalled. “And then everybody was on time except some people. So I saw one girl entering a bit later. I was like, ‘Oh, why are you late?'”

Clarissa, meanwhile, was immediately captivated. “I just thought, ‘Yeah, that’s it,'” she said. “I couldn’t find a seat, so I just sat on the floor and I stayed there staring at him and trying to be normal.”

Despite the initial spark, their connection wasn’t instantaneous. Clarissa, wary of rumours about Maarten, played hard to get. Maarten, for his part, admits to being a little clueless.

Clarissa eventually took matters into her own hands: “I texted him asking ‘So what is there to do in Rotterdam?'” she said. “Because I thought, ‘OK, maybe I give him a hint and he invites me to do something.’

“And then Maarten sent me a list of the top ten places to go in Rotterdam! I was like, ‘Didn’t you get it? How did you get your MBA?'”

At the end of that same week, Maarten asked her out for a coffee but she was already having beers with her MBA colleagues.

“I asked her, ‘Oh, where are you?'” Maarten recounted. “And then you said, I’m at triple or something like that.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a bar I don’t know. Was it in Witte de With?’ But she had just read the name of the beer outside on the sign. So I was cycling around looking ‘triple, triple.'”

After Maarten finally found the bar, they went for pizza and clubbing afterwards. After that, Maarten took action ‘Okay, I would like to take you on a date.’ And Clarissa accepted on one condition: “Pick me up on the bike” She explained: “Well, if I’m dating a Dutchman, I might as well take advantage of it.'”

The rest, as they say, is history.

Their relationship blossomed during their MBA studies, with RSM becoming a big part of their shared experience. They remained involved with the school after graduation, attending events and maintaining close ties with faculty and staff.

“It was cosy,” Clarissa says of their return to campus for the wedding photos six years ago. “It was nice to come.”

The MBA, they both agree, played a significant role in their relationship, particularly when it comes to communication. “I think one of the reasons we’re still together is because we are constantly working on our soft skills,” Clarissa laughs. “So the MBA has a contribution to it.”

“It’s always a negotiation process,” Maarten adds. “Like discussing the plans and aligning the agendas because everybody has a life. And now with our daughter… she also has her own plans!”

As they continue their journey together, Clarissa and Maarten look back on their time at RSM with a little bit of nostalgia.

“It’s a hub for smart people,” Maarten says. “There are many reasons on why you should have your studies and come to the university. But I think for me, for us as a couple, I think, yeah, there wasn’t a better place to meet so many smart international people at that point in my life.”

“The world is bigger than the Netherlands and Rotterdam,” Clarissa added. “That’s really what you like. And after that, whenever you think, ‘Hmm, is the Netherlands still the place to be or not,’ you have a network to ask where you want to go next. You can get insights from all over the world. And I think that’s really valuable because we are more than just here or we are more than just a country or a city. I think the whole world should be our place to look. And that’s what represents the MBA for me.”

Their advice to aspiring MBA students? “Keep studying,” Clarissa said. “Go to the university, have an MBA, or do something else, travel, but keep studying.”

“Invest your money in personal development,” Maarten adds, but Clarissa interrupts  – “And then you might end up with a nice family!”

As they prepare to welcome their second child, Clarissa and Maarten’s love story continues to evolve, their bond strengthened by the shared experiences and lessons learned at RSM. Their return to campus six years ago for their wedding photos is a testament to the enduring power of love, education, and the connections forged in the heart of Rotterdam.