Taking a creative leap Cassie Schoutens’ journey to SXM Airport’s (PJIA) front line

On most mornings, before the announcements echo through the terminal and the first rush of passengers fills the departure hall, Cassie Schoutens likes to pause and simply look around. Families are saying quick goodbyes. Vacationers are buzzing with anticipation. Ground staff are already in motion, checking gates and screens. Somewhere between those worlds, in the middle of that constant movement, is the space where she feels most at home.

“I walk through the airport and I see stories everywhere,” she says. “Departures, arrivals, the people behind the scenes. It is such a privilege to share those stories with the world.”

That instinct to see stories, not just operations, is part of what led Princess Juliana International Airport Operating Company N.V. (PJIAE) to appoint Schoutens as its new Corporate Communications Officer, a role that now places her at the heart of how the airport speaks to St. Maarten and to the wider world. It is a step up from her previous position as Marketing and Communications Specialist in the Commercial Department, where she helped shape outreach initiatives like Kids Movie Night and other programs that pull the airport closer to the community it serves.

With her new appointment, Schoutens will oversee all internal and external communications for PJIAE, guiding the way the organization informs, reassures, and engages the people who depend on it. For someone who describes herself in three words as “creative, driven, and an optimist,” it is a natural evolution of a journey that almost took a very different path.

Leaving certainty to find her voice

Before there were press releases, media briefings, and stakeholder updates, there was a courthouse. Schoutens’ first job was in the legal system, a place where structure and formality are everything. The work was valuable, she says, but it also revealed something she could not ignore.

“I realized that something was missing, my creative side,” she explains. “I found myself having more fun working on the events committee than doing my actual job. That was the moment I knew I needed to make a change.”

The change she chose was not a small one. She resigned from a stable position, went back to school, and enrolled in a Creative Business program so she could build a career that fit who she really was. It was a risky decision, but also a defining one.

“It taught me one of the most powerful lessons of my career,” she says. “Sometimes you have to disrupt your own life to build the version of yourself you actually want to become.”

That willingness to walk away from comfort in order to grow is part of what now shapes her approach at PJIAE. In a sector that often operates on tight timelines and rigid procedures, she brings a reminder that communication is not just about what is required, but about what is human.

Finding the right runway

For Schoutens, airports have always been more than transit points. They are crossroads, stages where emotion and logistics collide. When the opportunity arose to join Princess Juliana International Airport, she saw a way to bring together two passions that had been running side by side for years.

“Working at SXM Airport brings together my two biggest passions, communications and travel,” she says. “I have always loved seeing the world, learning about other cultures, and understanding how airports connect people and possibilities. So for me, joining SXM Airport felt like the perfect fit, a place where I could grow, create, inspire, and contribute to something bigger than myself.”

Inside the organization, she found something else that mattered just as much: room to grow. “What I appreciate most about working at SXM Airport is that it is a place where you can grow,” she explains. “If you are willing to work hard and stay curious, there are so many opportunities to develop yourself professionally. I have felt that growth personally, and it is one of the reasons I love being here.”

The airport itself, of course, is more than a workplace. For St. Maarten, aviation is lifeline and symbol at once. Schoutens is acutely aware of that dual role. “SXM Airport is the gateway to our island, welcoming visitors, supporting our tourism economy, and representing St. Maarten with pride,” she notes. “What makes it even more special is that we do not just focus on operations. We genuinely care about our people and our community, from staff initiatives to partnerships that give back. That sense of purpose is what makes this airport such a meaningful place to work.”

When communication becomes reassurance

Anyone who has lived through hurricane season on St. Maarten understands how quickly a calm day can become a moment of anxiety. In those hours, airports become information hubs as much as transport hubs. For Schoutens, those are the moments that underlined exactly how critical her work is. “During hurricane season or any type of operational emergency, people are anxious, uncertain, and looking for guidance,” she says. “In those moments, communication becomes more than just information, it becomes reassurance.”

Passengers want to know if they can still leave the island, or whether a flight will be delayed or cancelled. Airlines and other stakeholders need timely updates. Families watch social media feeds for news. In that swirl of tension, silence only deepens fear.

“Even if the news is not ideal, people feel more at ease when they know what to expect,” she explains. “Transparency really helps calm the uncertainty. Our team works hard to push out accurate updates as quickly as possible, especially during challenging periods. Those experiences have reinforced for me how powerful communication can be in guiding, supporting, and protecting both our community and our visitors.”

Her new role will demand even more of that steady presence. As Corporate Communications Officer, she will be responsible not only for what the airport says, but for how it listens.

Learning from fear, choosing clarity

Like many people who work in public facing roles, Schoutens did not arrive fully formed. One of her most important lessons came from a moment of hesitation.

She describes a point in her career when she felt paralyzed at the thought of publishing information, afraid of getting something wrong or facing criticism. Over time, she realized that focusing on how others might react was pulling her attention away from the people who genuinely needed information.

She learned to approach each message as a human being first, communicator second. “I put myself in others’ shoes and think about what I would want to know,” she says. That shift changed the way she communicates. Now, accuracy and transparency come first; fear of opinions comes last.

It is a perspective that will be crucial in a role that often involves delivering updates in real time, across multiple platforms, to audiences who are sometimes stressed, sometimes impatient, and always watching.

Guided by instinct, grounded in people

When asked about mentors or role models, Schoutens does not immediately list a famous executive or a textbook. Instead, she points to something quieter. “My biggest teacher has been experience,” she says. “Every challenge, setback, and high pressure moment has shaped the way I show up professionally.”

From those experiences, a simple rule has emerged: trust your instinct. That inner voice, she says, is often the clearest guide in difficult situations. It helps her keep perspective, stay calm, and choose empathy over defensiveness. She leans on that instinct in busy seasons, when the terminal is full and the pace is relentless. Watching a full day of arrivals and departures, she is reminded that every aircraft represents more than a schedule.

“I am reminded how essential aviation is to St. Maarten and how many opportunities each flight brings,” she reflects. “That perspective keeps me grounded in my work. It reminds me that what we do is not just communication, it is representing an island that depends on aviation and honoring the team that keeps it all moving.”

Telling the stories behind the scenes

For most travelers, airports are defined by the visible front line: check in counters, security lanes, boarding gates. Schoutens wants the public to see beyond that.

“What I wish more people really understood is how incredible the people at PJIAE are,” she says. “Behind every flight and every smooth operation, there is a team working tirelessly, sometimes missing holidays, family moments, or working late into the night during emergencies. They do it because they care, often without being asked, and that dedication is what makes this airport and our community shine.”

Part of her mission in the new role is to keep those stories in the spotlight. That means highlighting not only major milestones and infrastructure upgrades, but also the everyday wins: a ground handler going the extra mile for a passenger, a maintenance team working through the night, a department that quietly prevents a problem from becoming a crisis.

She experiences the terminal as a kind of moving tapestry, stitched together by people whose names most passengers will never know. Elevating those voices, she says, is as important as promoting tourism numbers or new routes.

Holding the balance

Schoutens admits that balance is something she works on intentionally. “Balance is everything,” she says. “I stay grounded by making time for family, friends, and moments to recharge. I am always here to listen to customers and colleagues, and when I cannot help directly, I make sure to find someone who can. Planning ahead and staying organized helps me show up fully at work, while still enjoying life outside the office.”

One of her favorite ways to reset is surprisingly simple: a beach day. There is just one catch. “I love beach days, but the moment the waves get too close, I am out,” she laughs.  It is a small detail, but a revealing one. For someone whose work revolves around constant movement, there is comfort in knowing exactly when to step back.

A message to the next generation

As she settles into her new role, Schoutens is aware that her presence at the top table sends a message of its own, especially to young women watching from the stands or scrolling through social media.

“I want young professionals, especially young women on St. Maarten, to know that the sky is the limit,” she says. “Do not take ‘no’ as the end of the road, take it as motivation to try again until it becomes a ‘yes.’ Do not let anyone convince you that you cannot, because you absolutely can when you set your mind to it. And most importantly, stay authentic. You do not need to fit into anyone’s box to succeed. Your power is in being yourself.”

That combination of professional discipline and personal authenticity is exactly what PJIAE is betting on as it hands her the microphone.

In the end it s safe to assume that she intends to keep walking through that terminal with eyes open, listening for the stories in every hello and every goodbye, and making sure the people of St. Maarten can hear their own reflection in the way Princess Juliana International Airport speaks to the world.

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