Texas Tech University

Aspen Krajewski Alumni Profile

Aspen Krajewski RHIM alumna texas tech university2011 Restaurant, Hotel, and Institutional Management (RHIM) alumna Aspen Krajewski has found herself in a uniquely appealing career as a National Sales Manager for AlliedPRA Hawaii. What makes Aspen's job so unique is her commute to work—there is no commute. Aspen transitioned into her current remote position after working for the company in its Hawaii location.

"I have the pleasure of working with corporate groups to source and manage the best local services in Hawaii for their programs, primarily in the incentive market," Aspen said. "I love that in my position I have the opportunity to share Hawaii with others, while also providing an experience that is authentic and different from what they may have booked if they didn't have a local recommendation."

Working remotely in Texas offers a benefit to AlliedPRA, as Aspen is able to conduct business on a majority of their clients' schedules while her team in Hawaii handles on-the-ground services.

"I like to say that our Hawaii team has our clients covered from the start of business on the East Coast to close of business in Hawaii!"

Aspen always wanted to go into event planning and felt that the RHIM degree offered an all-encompassing route her dream career.

"RHIM allows you to see the industry from every perspective and I think that makes it that much more of a valuable degree. I'm expected to know the ins and outs of every major hotel property in the state of Hawaii, so having that base knowledge of the hotel industry has been extremely helpful in my career."

That knowledge has served Aspen well over the past several years. Aspen's team was recently selected for 4 Association of Destination Management Executives International awards, each celebrating her team's work with destination management companies like AlliedPRA Hawaii.

"There's something very rewarding about taking initial concepts and goals for a corporate program and providing them services that exceed client expectations with creative and top-level VIP services."

Working in the events industry requires the ability to come up with creative solutions on a dime, especially when working well over 3,000 miles from your corporate base. Aspen credits the experiential learning aspects of her Restaurant, Hotel, and Institutional Management coursework for providing this crucial experience.

"The real-life experiences you get through Skyviews Restaurant, internships, and work experience are the best possible learning labs to make you more successful and confident once you're fully in the industry."

Aspen's corporate event planning path is one she says is well worth the work. Aspen suggests that current students in the College of Human Sciences should get involved on campus in student organizations to help them find their niche. She encourages students to make their own experiences and remember that they each have the power to carve their own way.

"RHIM graduates have such great tangible knowledge of the industry when they graduate. The way this program is designed, with your classwork coupled with hands-on experience like Skyviews, makes for a well-round education in hospitality."