Hi! My name is Yula van Leuzen-Heideman. I go to Dr. Charles Best secondary school in Coquitlam, BC, Canada. I will be in the graduating class of 2028, so I am currently in grade 9. I like almost all my classes but so far, my favorite has been math.
My parents are Dutch immigrants who moved to Canada before I was born. Therefore, my first language is Dutch. I also know French, English and I am learning Portuguese. Every summer, I go to the Netherlands to visit my family and since I’m already in Europe at that point my parents take me and my sister to another county as well. Because of that, I have developed a passion for travelling and want to visit every country in the world. So far, I have been to 13 different countries. This summer I went to the Netherlands and Portugal.
I play field hockey in the spring and fall seasons and have been playing since I was five. It is my favorite sport and has been for my whole life. I also played soccer when I was younger, but I only did it for my family as they are all big soccer fans and play it themselves, I however did not enjoy the pressure that that put on me, so I quit after 3 years. I also do a bit of volleyball on the side but not officially.
In my free time, I like to hang out with friends, play sports, listen to music, play with my dog and much more. I also like to watch tv and be on my phone every once in a while, even though I know it’s not very good for you, but I am trying to get better. Something that surprises some people about me is that the “v” in my last name is in fact not supposed to be capitalized. In Dutch the word “van” means “from” so when found in peoples last names, it is not capitalized.