Selina Haesevoets

After secondary school, I went on to study law because...

‘In secondary school, I studied Economics and modern languages, and I really enjoyed economics. For a while there, I wasn’t sure whether to choose applied economics or law. Then I went to the info day in Diepenbeek, and all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. It felt right from the outset. Moreover, law had a specific allure - the kind of allure you find in series about law firms or courtroom dramas. That ambience of debate, justice and tension appealed to me tremendously.’ (laughs)

What made studying in Diepenbeek so special...

‘Being able to go to uni close to home suited me to a tee. Commuting was more interesting on the financial level, and it meant that I could maintain the strong bond with my mum. Moreover, Diepenbeek felt like a real community. It was a welcoming place, with a warm, open atmosphere, and I really enjoyed my time there.’ 

My favourite spot on campus was ..

‘The agora in Diepenbeek. It was the place where we all hung out after lectures. When the faculty moved to Hasselt, I really missed it. There, of course, you had the charm of the Panopticon: an almost sacred place drenched in history.’  

The teacher who inspired me the most was...

‘Charlotte De Clerck made a lasting impression on me. It was during her exam that I heard about the notarial profession for the first time - something I had never considered until then. She planted that seed in my mind and pointed me towards this career. It is thanks to her that I discovered my vocation.’

As a student, I was..

‘I was always very serious, from a very young age, and as a student, I was no different. But at UHasselt, this proved really handy. There was simply no margin to put off things in the six-week system. If you did not keep up with your lectures, that was the end of it. It doesn’t mean I never went to parties - quite the contrary, actually. During my Erasmus in Valencia, I definitely made up for lost time.’ (laughs)

If there’s one thing I learned at UHasselt, it’s..

Practical thinking and a structured approach to work. The teaching groups always started from a concrete case, to which you had to apply what you learned. This taught me to respond very quickly and solve legal problems in a targeted way. This hands-on approach means that as a notary, I can soon get to the root of a problem and know which steps to take. Moreover, the six-week system instilled discipline in me: keeping up with lectures, tackling a problem and resolving it immediately - that’s something I learned during my five years at UHasselt. This is also indispensable, in a line of business where legislation is changing all the time.’

How would you describe your job in no more than 5 sentences?

‘I get that the notarial profession may not sound that sexy, but there is much more to it than drafting deeds. It is a versatile and challenging job in which you need to be familiar with all branches of law: family law, real estate, inheritance law, tax law, corporate law... It all comes together in our profession. It is also an incredibly social profession; you assist people at the most important moments in their lives: from buying their first home to drawing up a will. It is a very intensive job, but the satisfaction you feel when you can really help people more than makes up for it.’

What do you find most enjoyable / challenging about your job?

‘Whereas many legal professions focus on conflict, a notary’s job is to foster connection and trust. You get to assist people at some of the happiest times in their lives, such as buying a house or getting married, but also during more difficult times, such as divorce or death. It is this variety and the personal contact that make this job so special. You assist people with their plans and dreams, which is incredibly rewarding.’

In my opinion, the key to success lies in...

‘A good balance between working hard and enjoying life and what you do. Find a job that gives you more energy than it takes, and keep looking until you find it. I think that is the real key to success.’

If you were able/want to do something or give back to your alma mater, what would it be?

‘I try to attend alumni events as much as possible. If my story can inspire someone, this makes me happy. I also promote UHasselt everywhere I can because I am a proud alumnus. UHasselt has given me so much, and I like to pay it forward.’