his own, one that exposes students to a wide array of subjects and provides a foundation for lifelong learning: “People that can think on their feet, can think about what’s happening, can react and adapt to situations, that is the real value of a liberal arts education. You’ve really got a broad perspective on things.”
SMOOTH SAILING
The lines of vineyard vines apparel and accessories have become so numerous that it seems there’s no place the whale can’t go. And while Gaumer speaks openly about the future possibilities – expanding into new categories, for example – he’s also quick to say that every proposed and new product line must fit the story vineyard vines is telling and the lifestyle it’s selling.
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There’s also talk of expanding the business into international markets, he says. “There’s a huge sailing community in a lot of parts of the world. Golf is huge everywhere. So there’s a lot of opportunity for us to expand the brand presence. We are just getting started.” You’d think that Gaumer might be willing to concede that his team has reached a certain level of achievement, something akin to that perfect football season he was a part of so many years ago. But this coach is relentless in his pursuit for greater feats: “I don’t think that we’ve achieved that much yet. There’s still so much opportunity out there for us. We’ve come a long way, and we’re proud and we celebrate where we are, but we have bigger aspirations and dreams for what we want to do.” Yeah, Gaumer says, he’s happy. But not too happy.