Grace Goodman’s kindness and leadership makes her stand out among the rest. Goodman went from being section leader of the bass clarinets, one of the smallest woodwind sections in band, to becoming a drum major. Her role as drum major makes her responsible for conducting and keeping the marching band running smoothly in and out of performances. Her work keeps her constantly observant of those around her, and she uses her skills to her advantage as a leader in the band.

“[Goodman is] super kind and caring, and she’s worried about everyone and making sure that they are okay,” junior Kate Boyd said. “[She also includes others] and makes sure that they’re being invited to things. She’s super, super kind.”

Shifting from a smaller leadership position to one that requires a great deal of commitment and responsibility can be a strenuous adjustment, but not for Goodman.

“She took it like a champ,” Boyd said. “She definitely had a lot of things thrown at her and especially being the head drum major. She had a lot of difficulties and a lot of blame was placed on her, but she did amazing handling it, and she really did well in the role.”

For those that knew her, seeing her make the transition into a bigger leadership role was no surprise at all.

“The transition [into drum major] was really smooth, but the work that she had to do to be [one] was really rough, but she had respect for the band directors and the band directors had a lot of respect for her and she worked really, really hard to earn the spot that she did,” sophomore Vincent Vo said. “She’s really passionate about the band, and she also has a personality that’s really helpful.”

The guidance Goodman gives to those around her is something they will keep with them long after she graduates.

“She’s definitely helped me become more open-minded,” Boyd said. “I’ve become more confident [with] what she’s helped me with and just caring more about other people.”

Because of her experience in band, Goodman hopes to continue with music in the future. She hopes to reach out and inspire others to continue on to a further music career.

“She aspires to be a band director, particularly, but she also just really likes playing music and wants to help people in music education,” Vo said.e also has a personality that’s really helpful. And it’s and she also has a sense of leadership and compassion.