'Shoot for the stars': How David Cismas turned student council into a launchpad for change

David Cismas doesn't do things by halves. He runs marathons unprepared just to prove a point. He cycles from Brussels to Koblenz to celebrate European freedom. And when he sees a problem in international education, he doesn't complain—he builds a solution from scratch.

From Romania to Brussels, from the student council to a startup founder, David's story is about one thing: turning ambition into action. And it all started with a simple question in his first semester at Thomas More: If I'm new and don't know anyone, how can I help others?

The shepherd who became president

"My Mom says I'm 'a man with great ambition, wise from a young age,'" David laughs. "She also says I have this ability to bend my willpower so the universe listens. I don't know about the universe, but I do know this: anything is possible if you put your mind to it."

Named after King David from the Bible, he grew up in a traditional Romanian household with his mother and grandmother in Belgium. Home has always been complicated for David—born in Wallonia, raised between Brussels, Lennik, and Liedekerke, educated in Halle and Aalst, studied in Mechelen, lived half a year in New Jersey, did his internship in Mumbai, and now pursues his master's in Cluj, Romania.

"So where is my home?" he asks. "Everywhere in this world where I am welcome."

That restlessness—that need to explore, connect, and conquer—brought him to Thomas More to study International Business & Trade. But it wasn't the curriculum that changed him. It was the decision to join the student council.

The question that started everything

In his first semester, David wanted to help other students but held back. "I thought: if I'm new and don't know anyone, how can I help others?" So he waited. Second semester, first year, he joined the Local Student Council. Not for his CV. Not for recognition. But because he genuinely wanted to make a difference.

What he didn't know then was that this decision would shape everything: his confidence, his network, his understanding of how people work across cultures—and eventually, his startup.

When HEROES University - the European University Alliance connecting Thomas More with institutions across Europe - launched its student council, David saw an opportunity bigger than himself. "I knew that a European University Alliance is a great thing for Europe to unite. We need to fix Europe. And I truly believe this alliance can help, because education is the most important thing."

He became President of the HEROES Council. Mr. President, as his friends called him.

Balancing acts and breaking points

Being Mr. President wasn't easy. David had to juggle his studies, his personal life, and his student council responsibilities. All unpaid, all volunteer work. "This should be changed," he says bluntly. "You need to be professional at balancing your personal life, your work life, and your volunteering life."

The hardest part? Navigating different cultures, communication styles, and expectations. "I thought communication would be smoother, but since we deal with many different cultures and traditions, we also deal with many different points of view. That's why it's crucial to understand others to be able to work together."

But David never doubted his path. Even when things piled up, he stayed in control. His advice to students considering student council? "Don't start if you're weak. If you want to achieve greatness, you must aim for the sky—heck, even beyond. Shoot for the stars. Be delusional, be ruthless, but don't show it. Know your 'superpower' and use it."

What changed

Looking back at who he was before HEROES and who he is now, David doesn't hesitate. "My ego and confidence definitely received a boost. But besides that, I gained knowledge of how people work, what drives them, what their motives are. And the way certain cultures work."

His communication skills sharpened. His network expanded across borders. But more importantly, he discovered something unexpected: the opportunity to travel cost-free and stress-free with his peers created deeper connections than he'd imagined. "I truly was able in that short time to connect with them on a deeper level. And I love them for that."

One moment stands out. "The traveling and learning about different cultures the way we did, and the diplomacy, the communication between people, I couldn't have done that before HEROES."

But here's what he likes the most: he stays connected. Through LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Instagram, David maintains relationships with international officers from different institutions and students he met along the way. "I'd like to visit them, travel to their country of origin, and hang out."

That's what lifelong community means to him: "A community that will influence your life in a big way and where you can potentially benefit for a lifetime."

From insight to impact

Today, David wakes up at 11 AM in Cluj, Romania, plans his day, attends master's classes in the late afternoon, and locks in on his startup until 4 AM. He's coding his prototype from scratch—a platform to help students find the perfect study exchange.

"I'm almost done with the finance and business logic," he says, his excitement palpable. "ery soon I'll start presenting to investors. If everything goes as planned, I'll drop out of my master and fully focus on my business."

His HEROES experience didn't directly inspire the startup—but it gave him critical insights. "It only gave me a greater understanding of how an international office works between the students. And a bigger reach to students to hold my research."

What's he building? A system that's more transparent, smoother, and designed from the student's perspective. "If you could change one thing about how students approach international exchange," he reflects, "it's the system. The way to interact and search for information. It should be more accessible and made from the students' point of view."

The advice he'd give himself

If David could go back and tell his younger self one thing before joining HEROES, it would be this: "Whatever you do, make it more public and take credit for it. Don't only work with your contacts but let the students actively see that you are working. Involve them more."

And to current Thomas More students hesitant about international opportunities? "Do it. Go outside of your comfort bubble and learn something new. Jump into the unknown. If you have the opportunity to study abroad, you wouldn't only bring back value—you'll create value."

David is living proof. From a first-year student who questioned whether he could help others, to Mr. President of HEROES Council, to a founder building a solution for students worldwide. He's learned that confidence isn't about never doubting—it's about acting even when you do. That connections made across borders last beyond the experience. That small steps—joining the student council, attending one meeting, saying yes to one trip—can lead to life-changing opportunities.

His goal five years from now? "A big one. I'd like to change the whole worldwide system when it comes to international education."

Delusional? Maybe. But as David's grandmother taught him: always fight, but always fight for what's right.

And David Cismas is just getting started.

⚡️ David studied International Business & Trade at Thomas More and was President of the HEROES Student Council.

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