Make noise for the gamechangers

"Sometimes, the toughest decisions lead you exactly where you're meant to be."

When Junior Accountant Emiel Kindt introduces himself, he talks about his love for American football, spending time with family and friends, and sharing a happy home with his partner. The fact that he is deaf usually comes up later. Not because it isn’t an important part of his life, but because it doesn’t define him entirely.

Still, the path that brought him to where he is today was far from easy.

A difficult start

His hearing loss has undoubtedly shaped his journey. Emiel was born with full hearing but gradually lost it throughout his childhood. “I’m now completely deaf in my left ear. In my right ear, I only have very limited hearing left.” As a child, this made it harder for him to connect with others at school and often left him feeling insecure in larger groups. “Until I was 16, I felt insecure. I mostly stayed at home, and as a result, I had no real friends and no hobbies.”

Everything changed when, as a teenager, he decided to turn his life around. A major turning point came when he stepped outside his comfort zone and started playing American football. Within a close-knit team, he found not only a new passion but also friendship, confidence and a sense of belonging.

Choosing to undergo surgery for a cochlear implant was another life-changing decision. At the time, it felt like a difficult choice, but looking back, it proved to be one of the most important steps he ever took. It gave him the freedom to move into student housing, build a vibrant social life and embrace new opportunities.

Obstacles don't have to hold you back

Emiel brought that same mindset to his studies. Despite doubts from others, he never stopped believing in his own abilities. Through hard work, perseverance and the right support, he earned his degree and continued building his future in accountancy.

His journey taught him that obstacles don’t have to define what you can achieve. Instead, they can become the very thing that drives you to keep moving forward and prove what’s possible.

Emiel doesn’t see himself as disadvantaged. Throughout his life, he was given opportunities, at home, during his studies and later in his professional career. The difference was that those opportunities were not always as easily accessible to him as they were to others.

While others could attend a class, join a group conversation or meet certain expectations without a second thought, Emiel often had to go the extra mile to achieve the same result. Yet those challenges taught him invaluable lessons from an early age: to find solutions, to persevere in the face of setbacks and to keep believing in his own potential.