Future Game Changers | Blanche Pauzié

As part of our Future Game Changers blog series, meet Blanche Pauzié, second-year HMSM student and head internationalisation and communication of HMSM’s new study association: IRIS. In this story she shares her “Wings” – her ambitions, dreams and vision for the future of hospitality.

Blanche Pauzié

My name is Blanche Pauzié Grimaldi, a second-year student at the Hotel Management School of Maastricht. I’m from Versailles, France, where I spent most of my childhood together with Paris and Athens.

The IRIS Study association

As head of internationalisation and communication for the new IRIS study association, my role is to create a link between the school and internal, but also external international students, as well as communicate information through social media or other platforms. Even though my role has just begun, I still notice how I developed an understanding of others' needs. I gained insights into students' lifes or conflicts inside the school and campus, as well as the relations between external communities and ours. We have great projects for the association and the students coming up.

“True hospitality is rooted in blending cultures and traditions from across the globe.”

Blanche's Wings

I see wings as big and beautiful, things that are aesthetically pleasing but also helpful. It means for me having talent, creativity, and the goals we want to reach using these wings. I could say I want to “fly” around the world, see different cultures, and learn from them to create unique moments, especially in the form of weddings, as I want to become a wedding planner.

Obviously being part of this school is a chance in itself because of the environment we work in; we are lucky to have the Student Hotel right next to us, nature surrounding us, and a fitted study place. What really inspired me this past year, and still does every day, are the students I met here and from the hospitality world, new students as well as alumni. They all have plans, dreams, and a strong sense of ambition. At our school, we see how this brings us together and gives us the opportunity to spread our wings. With the support of our teachers, we can launch new projects that develop us, such as IRIS.

If I had to think about my life in 5 or 10 years, I would like to imagine having finished school, including a masters degree, having lived in multiple countries, and having changed the school for the better by helping internationals feel at home and welcomed here. To me, true hospitality is rooted in blending cultures and traditions from across the globe. There is so much to discover and learn from the past and from other parts of the world: together they create unforgettable experiences. Through my role within this association, I have the opportunity to experience and share this. I hope that future students will enjoy even more wonderful years because of it.

Blanche's Tips

My tip for other students that wish to seize new opportunities would be to jump in and not be scared of trying or of being scared and asking for help. For some people it can be challenging to build a new life out of your country or away from friends and family, but this school has great associations and events to help you during and after your years here; making contacts is always helpful, and having personality and differences are what makes this sector so special. Hospitality is a wonderful world that will help you develop your qualities.