IAM

Working on the International Stage

Sarah Hamilton ’07 takes her theatre production skills to a larger stage through venue management.

Sarah Hamilton '07 starred in and helped produce numerous theatre productions at Willamette, and recently she was a "production manager" of sorts for an international stage — the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

As athletes and spectators from around the world converged in Vancouver, British Columbia, Hamilton was busy behind the scenes as a venue manager in Whistler — the site of many of the skiing, luge and bobsled events — making sure everything ran smoothly.

"Venue management is a paradox of being able to see how things operate both on the micro and macro levels," Hamilton says. "At Willamette, I learned to work with many different types of people, and how to take care of the finer details while remaining focused on the bigger ideals."

Reacting to unforeseen situations and making sure the show goes on — it's not that far from the challenges of putting on a theatre production.

Hamilton acted or worked on the crew for at least 15 Willamette shows. She also served as president of the theatre department's Student Advisory Board and produced a video on the benefits of the Willamette theatre program.

After graduation, Hamilton went to work for the Sundance Institute, where she helped coordinate logistics at the Sundance Film Festival.

Then she started working for Contemporary Services Corporation, an event and crowd management company. Based out of the company's Salt Lake City branch, she is an event coordinator and venue manager for the Rio Tinto Stadium, a 20,000-seat soccer stadium that is home to Real Salt Lake, the 2009 Major League Soccer Championship team.

"My professors and friends at Willamette had a profound impact on the road I was able to take after graduation," she says. "I know a great deal of my confidence and drive was fueled by the strong support network of people who saw my potential and did everything they could to help me succeed."