Future Game Changers | Louk van Rooijen

Louk van Rooijen

My name is Louk van Rooijen, a fourth-year student at Hotel Management School
Maastricht, originally from Amersfoort. While my studies began firmly rooted in
hospitality, my interests gradually shifted toward the medical and psychological
dimensions of human experience. What drives me is the same principle across every
sector: a deep fascination with the person behind the guest, client, or patient.
Understanding people and shaping experiences that genuinely support their wellbeing
has become the foundation of my identity.

Louk’s Experience

Before starting at HMSM, I spent six months in the South of France during a gap year. I
worked in a boutique hotel, La Manufacture Royale, supporting the owners with daily
operations. Afterwards, I joined two vineyards, first the larger one: Château Canet, then
the smaller family-runned vineyard: Domaine LaLande, where I worked as a private chef
for the winemaking team. These experiences taught me responsibility, adaptability, and
the value of genuine human connection. Being invited back by the last family for
holidays and weddings confirmed that the relationships I had built were meaningful and
lasting.

In my first year of HMSM I was lucky to be selected for the HMSM Excellence Programme,
which challenged me to think critically, collaborate beyond the regular school
curriculum, and work together with an amazing team.

Then, during my operational internship at the Four Seasons in Mauritius, I focused on
guest experience and guest relations. It was an environment where every detail
mattered, and where creating memorable experiences was a shared mission. This
internship strengthened my instinct for personalisation and showed me the power of
empathy in building trust. After that, I followed two minors: Horizons in hospitality (where I got a healthcare assignment) and the second minor: Neuropsychology. These experiences grew my interest in to the scientific understanding of human experience.

Louk’s Values

The HMSM value that resonates most is 'Connection'. For me, connection is not a
courtesy, it is the basis of genuine care or service. In hospitality, healthcare, and in any
environment where people are vulnerable, connection determines whether someone
feels safe, heard, and understood.

This value is evident not only in professional settings, but in everyday life. During my
internship in Mauritius, I would often ride with the same taxi driver, Suresh, because
traveling alone was not safe. Over time, our conversations became more personal.
When my parents came to visit, he invited us for dinner with his family. A simple evening
turned into meaningful connection. It reminded me that hospitality is not defined by
industry. It is defined by how we treat people.

Louk’s Ambition

My ambition is to work at the intersection of hospitality, healthcare, and human
experience, helping people through personalisation, empathy, and human-centred care.
I do not yet know the exact shape this will take, but I know the elements it will include:
learning, growth, new places, meaningful relationships, and supporting others in
memorable moments.

HMSM has supported this path by offering programmes, minors, and networks that bridgesectors and encourage curiosity. The excellence programme especially strengthened my confidence to work on ambitious projects within a motivated team where ideas grow
through shared inspiration and joint effort.

I hope to bring hospitality to environments where it is not yet a given, such as healthcare.
Empathy, attention, and personalisation may not be standard practice in clinical
settings, but they are deeply needed. If I can help create experiences that feel human,
dignified, and personal, then I will!

Louk’s Tips

Say yes more often. Most growth happens when discomfort replaces certainty.
Opportunities rarely arrive in perfect timing or shape, sometimes you have to create the
perfect timing.

Be curious, not only about projects but also about people. Most doors in life are opened
by conversations, and connections. Show genuine interest, ask thoughtful questions,
follow up, and add value where you can.

Lastly: don’t wait for permission or ‘a sign’ to explore a direction that looks different
from your original plan or the expected choice to make. Growth is not linear, and your
career does not need to fit into a single box. Allow yourself to grow.