April 1, 2023

“Event planning is all about teamwork. I am a collaborative person and naturally organized, but you can’t run an event by yourself, you need others to support you and work together,” says Grace Schuler, BS hospitality management ’24.

“The first time I visited Drexel’s campus, I knew it was the school for me. I loved the location and the Co-op program. I am a hands-on person, so gaining real-world experience in my industry was important to me,” Schuler comments.

Community on Campus

In July 2020, Schuler co-founded the Drexel Hospitality Society (DHS), a student group that hosts food and hospitality management-related events, educates interested students about the industry and provides networking opportunities. Schuler previously served as the group’s event coordinator. This fall, she is stepping into the role of president, and she is looking forward to returning to in-person programming, after a period of virtual events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Anyone can join DHS,” Schuler shares. “We have held lots of exciting events, like the Food for Thought trivia night, culinary demos in pizza and pasta making, public speaking events, and we have organized hotel tours in the Philadelphia area."

Schuler says that one of her favorite events so far was a collaboration with Chef Sean Sherman, founder of Sioux Chef, in which the group discussed Indigenous food systems and Chef Sherman’s journey towards discovering, reviving and reimagining Indigenous cuisine.

Co-op Experience

In addition to her leadership role in DHS, Schuler has taken on several co-op opportunities during her time at Drexel so far. She is currently on co-op with All About Events, a Philadelphia and East Coast region wedding and event planner and the premiere event planner for Reading Terminal Market.

“I am learning so much on co-op,” Schuler continues. “When you work with a good team, it is so much more productive. I am learning how important it is to value everyone in the event planning process, from clients to vendors and beyond. It makes all the difference on the big day. I hope to open my own event planning business one day, so these are valuable lessons that I will take with me after I graduate.”

Written by Izzy López