Raoul’s ComIn experience: organising a dream day

Raoul Goethals

My name is Raoul Goethals, I am 23 years old and I come from Den Bosch. I am currently in my graduation semester at Hotel Management School Maastricht, where I have chosen the Food Service track.

Together with Sil ten Berge, I organised a dream day for our ComIn project through Dream4Kids, an organisation that creates unforgettable days for children who have experienced trauma. What I did not expect was how big the impact of this project would be on me personally.

The ComIn project: Pepijn’s dream day

For Dream4Kids, Sil and I completed our ComIn assignment. The dream day itself took place in and around Eindhoven. It started in Vught, where Pepijn was surprised at his primary school, after which the day continued in Eindhoven with activities at PSV, Pietza, Jamin, Stuntstep Center Eindhoven, Hezemans Indoor Karting and Area 51 (indoor skate park). The day ended in Den Bosch, where we arrived by limousine at restaurant Boerengoed.

Dream4Kids is an organisation that organises dream days for children who have been through difficult experiences. We were responsible for organising and guiding Pepijn’s dream day from start to finish, under the supervision of Karin Prinsen. Pepijn’s dream was all about speed, action and adrenaline.

On 5 February 2026, we surprised him during his morning break at De Lichtstraat primary school in Vught with a Porsche GT3 that came to pick him up. From that moment on, the tone was set. What followed was a day full of highlights: a VIP tour at PSV including the dressing room, a meeting with mascot Phoxy and a goodie bag, a pizza-making workshop at Pietza, unlimited candy shopping at Jamin (Pepijn collected no less than 1800 grams of candy in one minute), choosing new soft wheels for his stunt scooter at Stuntstep Center Eindhoven, karting at Hezemans Indoor Karting, stunt scootering at Area 51, a ride in an Audi RS6, and finally a dinner, arriving by limousine, at restaurant Boerengoed in Den Bosch.

As dream guides, Sil and I were responsible for the entire process. This included approaching and convincing sponsors, planning the logistics of the day, maintaining contact with all involved parties, and personally guiding Pepijn during all activities. Before the dream day, we also explored his wishes through a memory game to understand his hobbies and interests. Afterwards, we visited him again to reflect on the day and present him with a photo book.

 

Raoul's experience

I chose this project because I wanted to do something that truly matters, not only for myself but for someone else. The idea of giving a child, who does not always have an easy life, an unforgettable day immediately appealed to me. I wanted to show that hospitality goes beyond a hotel or restaurant. It is about making people feel special.

What I learned was not something I had fully expected. Approaching companies for sponsorship felt like a real challenge at first. I tend to want to solve everything myself and did not want to feel like I was depending on others. But I took that step, and what I discovered surprised me: there are many companies and people in the Netherlands who want to contribute to a child’s dream. That was very motivating.

I also learned that letting go is sometimes the best choice. Our original plan turned out not to be feasible, and in hindsight we should have changed direction earlier. By holding on too long, we created unnecessary stress in the final week. However, the adjustments we made actually made the day even more special.

At Hotel Management School Maastricht, you learn early on how to create meaningful experiences for people, but I did not expect how well this would apply to this project. Organising a day like this requires exactly the same skills: professional communication with external partners, planning logistics across multiple locations, and staying flexible when things do not go as planned. These are skills I learned at school and was able to apply in practice.

From 31 August, I will start my internship at Avolta HMSHost at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. I will begin this experience with much more confidence than I had a year ago. This ComIn project has shown me that I can create experiences for others, that I dare to network even when it feels uncomfortable, and that I can adapt quickly when needed. These are exactly the qualities I want to use in the food service and hospitality industry and further develop at HMSHost.

Tips for other students

Go for it, but know what you are getting into. This project really asks a lot from you. You need to be willing to pick up the phone even when it feels uncomfortable, to switch plans quickly when things do not work out, and to fully step into someone else’s situation. It is not a project where you can sit back and relax.

But what you get in return is priceless. I will never forget how Pepijn kept smiling at the end of the day, and how he eventually gave us a framed photo of the three of us. No exam can give you that feeling. So if you have any doubts: just do it.