Born in the north of the Netherlands, Dr. Martijn van der Spoel grew up in a family of four.  When he was three, his parents started to foster children creating a home environment of young people from diverse backgrounds with evening meals as ‘fertile soil’ for all kinds of discussions.

From a young age, sometimes to the despair of other family members, Dr. Martijn van der Spoel loved talking.  However, school was challenging especially because of his dyslexia.  At a secondary school parents’ evening, his English teacher told his mother that although he tried everything, “Martijn will never learn English.”

The teacher was right in that Martijn’s English was not up to much when he sat his finals.  He failed miserably.  However, the conclusion that he would never be able to speak English became a personal challenge during the next few years.  Over time, Dr. Martijn van der Spoel got qualifications (BA, two MA’s and a PhD) from universities both in London and Chicago.

One of the greatest things in life is achieving what everyone thought was impossible!

The journey of learning and progressing has been a challenge and took a fair amount of energy.  Having said that, the combination of desire, never giving up, and meeting the right people at the right time has become the foundation to inspire and teach learners of wide ranging backgrounds.