Profile: Bronwyn Vermaak
Bronwyn Vermaak is the driving force behind various events and initiatives that enrich Emerson students’ study abroad experience at Kasteel Well. As a program coordinator in the Office of Student Affairs, her responsibilities encompass a wide range of areas, including student support, orientation coordination, appointment assistance, and excursion planning.
She and her colleagues organize two academic trips per semester. The first excursion is a three-day trip to Amsterdam shortly after students’ arrival. The second excursion, held before the break, takes students to major European cities such as Barcelona, Vienna, Prague, and Venice. Her responsibilities include running pre-trip meetings, managing sign-ups for tours, coordinating logistics, and assisting with emergencies.
Vermaak also works with her team to plan and host a couple of “Kasteel Well Celebrates” events per semester, during which they celebrate Pride, heritage months, and more. The residence assistants (RAs) run a weekly sports night at a local gym and also host a few open mic nights each semester.
Vermaak supervises the production of the cultural magazine Black Swan, guiding students in creating a publication filled with poetry, journalistic pieces, photography, playlists, and other forms of literary art. Her efforts were recognized with the ERA Award for Supervisor of the Year, making her the first staff member from Kasteel Well to receive this honor.
She also manages the civic engagement initiative “Spelen met Groen (Playing with Green),” during which students visit a staff member’s home to learn about gardening; work with cuttings; and make insect hotels, syrups, and dog treats. This initiative provides students with a homely experience and fosters a connection with nature.
For two years, Vermaak managed Sophie’s Kitchen, a student store on campus. During this time, she transformed it from a small store with a couple of basic snack items to a completely digitally run store with nearly 80 products being sold.
Vermaak often partners with the Boston Marketing Office to create Castle content. She manages a student employee who serves as a media assistant. The assistant produces an end-of-semester video and creates posts for the Kasteel Well Instagram page, ensuring that the vibrant life at the Castle is well-documented and shared.
Vermaak’s journey at Emerson began in May 2021, following her experience as an English teacher in China. In college, she majored in human movement science, psychology, and physiology and graduated with a degree in health science. Her educational background reflects her deep interest in both scientific disciplines and human interaction.
Outside of her professional responsibilities, Vermaak is an active individual with a love for outdoor adventures. She is an avid motorcyclist who has explored the landscapes of South Africa and embraces nature through activities like hiking and camping. She enjoys wild camping and hiking in areas like the Eifel in Germany and Lion’s Head, Devilspeak, and The Pipe Track in and around Cape Town, South Africa. Her dream is to take a sabbatical to ride her motorcycle from Cape Town to the Netherlands.
Bhavana Rao, MA ’25