Cenk Aroma ’00
Amsterdam 

When Cenk Aroma was looking for a university to attend, he wanted somewhere “that combined academic rigor with a welcoming environment, and TU felt like the right balance,” he says.

He majored in business administration with a concentration in finance and his first post-grad job, in his home city of Istanbul, Türkiye, as an accounting and finance specialist, he felt prepared personally and professionally.

“TU was more than where I earned my degree—it was a defining chapter of my life,” he says. “As an international student, everything felt new: the culture, the independence and the responsibility of building a life on my own. Looking back, those years shaped my confidence, resilience and global perspective in ways I only fully understand now.”

His career path has taken him to Croatia, Ukraine, Russia and now the Netherlands, but Amsterdam was more than a professional move.

“Amsterdam had always been a city [my partner and I] imagined ourselves living in,” he says. “Its international character, openness and entrepreneurial energy felt aligned with who we are. It has a rare balance: You can have a high-level business meeting in the morning and bike along the canals in the evening. It’s creative, progressive and open-minded but also grounded.”

One of his favorite times of year is the summer, since the sun sets close to 10 p.m.

“Terraces stay full late into the evening, parks become gathering places and festivals like Loveland bring a vibrant, celebratory energy,” Aroma says.

Two neighborhoods stand out for him: De Pijp and Jordaan. He says De Pijp feels energetic and multicultural, with its cafes, markets and independent shops. But Jordaan’s history, narrow canals and small galleries give it a timeless charm.

Aroma appreciates Amsterdam’s culinary diversity—cooking at home, trying refined dining experiences making spontaneous market visits.

The last time his friends visited, they leaned into the city’s outdoor energy and spent “long afternoons at open-air bars in Westerpark, enjoying drinks in the sun and letting time pass slowly.”

Something else he enjoys doing with friends is renting a small, six-person boat and doing their own canal tour.

“Seeing Amsterdam from the water—with music playing, friends laughing and the city glowing in the evening light—felt very special,” he says.