Penn State senior forward David Goodwin came to the now fifth-year Division I hockey program when it was embarking on its first full-fledged season in the Big Ten conference.
With that experience playing for an “expansion” team, making more out of less should hardly have been a new concept to him. Yet on an offseason mission trip to Nicaragua, the necessity manifested itself anew.
The trip was based largely on manual labor, as Goodwin helped in building a retaining wall, roof and playground. It put into perspective for him how easy it is to do these types of jobs in America, and was a life lesson that improved his patience.
“It’s tough to understand how hard things are with less machinery,” he told Pucks and Recreation. “I’m sitting in a trench digging, thinking, ‘This could be done in an hour.’”
Building steady foundations that will last in an area where the infrastructure is not great can create a lasting impact on the community. Goodwin hopes that these new structures will improve the standard of life in Nicaragua.
During his time at Penn State alone, Goodwin has taken four journeys abroad, including a pair of mission trips to lesser developed countries. The two mission trips to El Salvador and Nicaragua were through his church in St. Louis, while his trips to Mexico and Cuba were through Penn State itself.
In El Salvador, Goodwin worked in an orphanage, doing more work with people, and helping out in a one-on-one manner. Some of his responsibilities included helping with the meals, pushing the little children on swings and playing soccer with the older kids.
“It was the power of giving these children a sense of hope,” said Goodwin, a finalist for the 2017 Hockey Humanitarian Award and a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award. “It was about being there for them the best we could.”
Whether it’s playing for an upstart program at home or facing stingy infrastructure and Internet abroad, Goodwin has learned to make the most of limited supplies. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)
Goodwin, who is a double major in Economics and Spanish, also spent a summer in Mexico as part of a study abroad program. While there, he lived with a Mexican family and fully immersed himself in the culture of the language. He still keeps in touch with the family as well.
On the flipside, he met one of his bigger challenges when he went to Cuba to teach English. Due to the Cuban accent being particularly difficult to understand, it almost seems like a different language in itself.
“When I was picked up at the airport, the driver knew no English at all, so I was sort of panicking for a while,” Goodwin recalled.
Even with the recent changes in U.S.-to-Cuba travel policy, it was still rare for Cubans to meet Americans, which made Goodwin a mini-celebrity at times.
“At first, they didn’t believe that I was American,” he stated. “When they realized it was true, they would call over their family members to introduce me.”
Giving back to the community is a big deal for Goodwin. He lives his life off the Bible verse, Luke 12:48, which states “to much who is given, much will be required.”
In simpler terms, he said that “I’ve been given a lot, so I should give back a lot.”
Working in other countries has had a big impact on Goodwin’s life, an impact which he feels that he cannot take lightly.
“They really opened my eyes,” Goodwin remarked. “It helped me with understanding the power and good of service.”
Voted a captain for the Nittany Lions in 2016-17, Goodwin says that while trips like these do not necessarily improve one’s on-ice performance, it helps mentally.
“It’s getting away from hockey in the offseason,” he said. “Working on a farm with no Wi-Fi gives you a mental break.”
While he is open to seeing what the next summer holds, Goodwin has yet to make plans for additional trips abroad. For now, he is focused on helping Penn State reach its first-ever NCAA tournament.
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