C6 | Thursday, May 23, 2013 | The Vail Daily
Goodwin aiming
to do good N
atalie Goodwin is an only-child with a passion for people. The Eagle Valley High School graduate has an all-merit scholarship to Baylor University in Texas, where she plans to pursue a career in medicine. “I want to be an emergency-room physician or a trauma surgeon,” she said. “I like the emergency aspect.” It’s a very different career path from what her parents do. “My dad is an insurance salesman and my mom is a fourth-generation interior designer, so I’m breaking a big tradition there,” she joked. “Thank goodness!” said her mom, Suzanne Fetzer Goodwin. “I don’t think I’d want her to go into this business with the way things are now.” Goodwin also comes from a background of traveling and athletics. She played on the varsity soccer team since her freshman year as a left wing. “She skis and snowboards, and has been a pretty good piano player since she started in second grade,” said her dad, Randy Goodwin. “She bakes good desserts, too.” Natalie Goodwin said her interest in medicine started in eighth grade. “My friend had cancer and I went to Denver to visit him in the hospital a lot,” she said. “I became fascinated with everything there.” (Her friend ended up making a “phenomenal” recovery and Goodwin is still in touch with him.) Randy Goodwin said his daughter has always been interested in medicine. “Ever since she was 6 years old,” he said. “I don’t know exactly what it was that drew her interest there, but she was always into it.” She’s also interested in language and plans to major in Spanish or linguistics for her pre-med undergraduate degree. “I’m drawn to cultures,” she said. “I don’t think language should be a barrier.” Her mom said they started traveling overseas with Natalie when she was 6 years old, to Portugal. More recently, Goodwin spent two weeks in Spain as part of a student group from EVHS in 2011.
By Derek Franz
“Spanish will always be a part of my life,” she said. “I’ve been to so many places, though, it’s hard to pick a favorite.” Fetzer Goodwin said her daughter is very good at adapting to situations, which helps with traveling. “She’s always been an easy-going kid with a phenomenal work ethic,” she said. “I think she’ll take that go-with-the-flow attitude to college. She fits right into wherever she is.” Natalie Goodwin finished her senior year as president of the EVHS National Honor Society, which is dedicated to scholarship, leadership and service. “We had 33 members this year,” she said. “We are very involved at this school. That’s one reason I chose Baylor – it has a really good leadership and service outreach program. I also wanted to go to school in the South and I wanted a Christian university, so Baylor’s a good fit.” She said her family is from the South but she was born in San Francisco and grew up in Eagle County. “I’m just ready for a change,” she said. Her parents hope she keeps traveling. “Travel is so important – it broadens your horizons,” Fetzer-Goodwin said. “We’re so proud of her. She’s a person who does it all.”