 |  | I’ve been working within Goodman’s Hospitality department for a little over two years. I’m currently the Events and Hospitality Manager, but I was managing the front desk over the last few months. It was my first managerial role, so I definitely got invested in being a manager and figuring out what does and doesn’t work. I thought about the managers that I really looked up to and what they did, and I tried really hard to be that kind of person. I really loved the job because it was all about the people. Managing Events and Hospitality is more about doing market research and seeing how we can be better and get more clients. It’s a lot more behind the scenes work than the front desk, but still really important to me and to Goodman. My background is in catering, so I really enjoy working with our catering team and the teens. The teens are as skilled and professional as any other catering team I've worked with, so it’s really rewarding to work with them and watch them succeed. Teens can have their own set of priorities and lots of choices about what they could be doing, so I want them to want to keep coming back by hopefully being a role model and connecting with them.
Everyone at Goodman is so generous and kind, and I’ve learned so many things from them. It’s been a huge improvement in my life. I come from a family of service industry workers, so I never thought I’d leave that field, but Goodman makes me, and my skills, feel so valued. When I was over at the front desk, I had a lot more interactions with volunteers because Ironworks really is their hub. The work they do is incredible. I was shocked to learn how many volunteers it takes to just run the food pantry and the older adult program efficiently. They couldn’t possibly function without the volunteers. And Susan was so generous giving the front desk volunteers, people like Julia and Donna were instrumental in helping us keep the back hallway safe for the kids—they were our legs when we had to stay at the desk. The front desk is everyone’s first impression, you know, and to have a volunteer greet you and say ‘hi, this person will be with you in a second. Can I help you with anything in the meantime’ is so important to our day-to-day operations. We couldn’t serve as many people as we do without them.
Outside work, I’m a big hiker. I come from a family of hikers. The most beautiful hike I’ve been on is Smoky Mountain in Tennessee. I went with my grandparents who actually got written about in a paper for hiking the mountain more than anyone. It’s a six-hour hike, so it’s the longest hike I’ve ever been on, but getting to the top was a moment of ‘wow! I really did this.’
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