Chris Goodwin ’19 chose ΛΔ»’Σ°ΚΣ for its tight-knit community and top-notch musical theater program. He also chose Shenandoah because of the university’s commitment to maintaining current industry standards, as well as the ability to communicate with professors to achieve the best educational experience for all involved.
During his time at Shenandoah, Goodwin fondly remembers taking part in academic and student life activities, such as ShenCoLab, Lip Sync for your Life, trips and holiday events. “One of my favorite nights of the year – Alpha Psi Omega would go and decorate President Fitzsimmonsβ house for the holiday season,” said Goodwin “She is amazing and we always fought over who got to go decorate!”
Goodwin is the director of sales and marketing for On Location Education is the worldβs leading provider of on-set education and welfare services for young performers working on film, TV, theatre and other live entertainment projects. In this role, he works to secure projects, grow the company in new production markets and leads the projects to transform the company’s infrastructure and promote efficiency.
Prior to his current position, Goodwin worked as the director of marketing for was the managing director for and was the administrative coordinator at . In these positions, he worked to market and produce projects such as βSesame Street the Musicalβ and βBees and Honeyβ.
One of the most rewarding experiences Goodwin has had in his current role is promoting a healthy work/life balance for his fellow employees. It is common for the entertainment industry to work late nights and weekends, and Goodwin finds it very fulfilling to see positive results in these efforts.
Goodwin attributes his Shenandoah education to helping him discover that his true purpose lies with production and management of musical theater rather than performing. He became president of Alpha Psi Omega, where he honed and utilized his planning, organizing, fundraising and strategizing skills, which he uses in his career today. Goodwin also led the first-ever ShenCoLAB and attended an exploratory trip to festivals in Wales during his time at the university.
βThese experiences taught me anything is possible if you work hard and make it happen, and that because of the stellar education and training SU provides, I graduated well equipped with the skills to dive right into the industry and my chosen career path,β said Goodwin.
Goodwin’s advice to current and future students is: “While youβre at SU – enjoy your time in an environment where you can fail at things and money or a job isnβt on the line. Many times I have looked back at my time at SU and wished I had taken more advantage of the ability to try things artistically in such a safe environment, even if they didnβt succeed. I wish I hadnβt held back in this way.”