Future Game Changers | Matthijs Pikaar

Matthijs Pikaar

My name is Matthijs Pikaar, 21 years old. I have just started my second year at Hotel Management School Maastricht. I was born in Tilburg, The Netherlands, but moved to California, USA, when I was 3, living there for 17 years before making my way back. 

The IRIS Study Association

My role within the new project Iris at HMSM is innovation leader. As the name suggests, it is to innovate and bring the study association to life. I will be steering the Iris project forward, creating new, creative ways to bring the HMSM community together and make positive change in the world of hospitality. 

I’ve only started this position a few weeks ago but already see skills of leadership, responsibility, and problem-solving building as the weeks progress. Having a role to yourself at the level of building something completely new allows me to test my creativity, and making it happen takes directiveness.
 
In the past weeks, the biggest moment was helping out at the move-in days of the new September stream. It was my first viewing of the position and a chance to help the newest students to our community. Interactions with people have always been a favorite of mine, and move-in day was no different, whether carrying a wardrobe up 3 flights of stairs or answering a simple “where is hallway 15B?” This is only a sliver of what I hope to achieve in this position. In the long term, I want to set forth projects that bridge gaps: bringing the international and Dutch streams together, connecting students with professors and the school’s administration, and even collaborating with more communities in Maastricht, all on the focus of supporting the students' academics.

Matthijs’s Wings

Wings to me bring a very literal meaning. Birds don’t just fly the second they are born, they have to grow and learn first. It takes time until wings can lift you, and even then you must jump over the edge. Acing the Management Accounting final won’t happen on the first day of class, and “changing the game” won’t happen overnight either. It all takes growth, and with innovation it will get there. For me it is no different with Iris. I am growing my wings and Iris’ wings until we can take the leap. My ambition is to take it higher and higher, supporting more students and communities every year. 

My family had an impact on me by providing all the support to get to the position I am in today with the characteristics I hold. When it comes to my development within Iris, it is the rest of the board that inspire me to excel through their support and ability to share every idea by the hands of our shared vision. 
The school helps spread my wings by giving opportunities like Iris, meeting like-minded individuals from fellow students to professors with experience I could only dream of, and later internships that allow me to use my skills in the real world of hotels and management.

In 5 or 10 years I see myself in a role, bringing innovative ways to change the hospitality industry, no matter the position. I am giving everything my best shot and increasing my wingspan through the skills I continue to build. 

Within HMSM, I hope to contribute through my work at Iris to create a stronger community filled with people where connection is at their core. Past that, I hope to bring the same skills to the hospitality industry, continuously optimizing the guest experience, through personal interaction and innovation.

 

Matthijs’s Tips

I would say it’s not just about saying yes to every opportunity but whether or not it aligns and feels true to you. Once the decision is clear the next important thing is what you do with that opportunity, take it and give it your all. If you give it a lackluster shot, you might as well have rejected it. Only by trying your best will you have learned something and brought positive change.