Marymount University graduate Alexis Goodman ’25 was named one of two first-place winners in the prestigious WindowsWear Mentorship Program this April, held in partnership with luxury retailer Coach. With this achievement, she will spend the summer interning with Coach’s visual experience team at the company’s New York headquarters.
Goodman is the sixth Marymount student to be recognized by WindowsWear since 2020.
A Virginia native, she transferred to Marymount from community college, hoping to find a meaningful in-person experience following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Marymount felt like the right fit. It’s small and personable, professors know your name and it’s easy to connect with people,” Goodman said. “I knew I wanted a career where I could help people creatively. Marymount’s graphic design program helped me find opportunities to create and make an impact at the same time.”
Goodman developed her creative skills through social media internships and on-campus opportunities, such as contributing to Marymount’s student-run literary and arts magazine blueInk.
After graduating in December 2025, Goodman pursued a challenge to keep her creative skills sharp. The WindowsWear competition, which usually attracts interior design and fashion majors from across the country, presented a unique opportunity to get “out of her comfort zone.”
The competition challenged students to design a “third space” for Gen Z customers, an environment centered on culture and community. Goodman’s winning concept, the “Coach Culture Café,” reimagined the traditional café experience as a destination for meaningful interaction and cultural exchange.
“I thought about how Gen Z loves cafés, but many don’t feel like community spaces anymore,” she explained. “People just grab their drink and leave. I wanted to create a space where people could stay longer, connect and build relationships—something that felt familiar, but was much more meaningful.”
Goodman also incorporated multicultural elements into her design, including a menu of authentic international cuisine and a multilingual library filled with diverse literary offerings.
“The café is meant to be in New York and the city is so diverse, so multiculturalism felt essential to the design,” she said. “I wanted to create a space where people felt truly welcomed and would gather to meet people and make new memories.”
Although Goodman was confident in her design, she faced the challenge of executing her vision using unfamiliar systems, such as the construction modeling software Revit. Not to be discouraged, she used the opportunity to become more proficient in alternative imaging tools like generative AI.
“Alexis is always thinking outside the box and coming up with creative solutions,” explained Dr. Becca Banzuelo, visual merchandising professor at Marymount University and Goodman’s project mentor. “She went above and beyond for this project, using her graphic and media design skills to take a different approach and stand out in the competition.”
After being named a top 10 finalist in March, Goodman traveled to New York to visit Tapestry’s headquarters in Hudson Yards, where she toured the company’s archives, observed designers at work and connected with professionals across multiple disciplines. She called the trip a “dream experience” that pulled back the curtains of the fashion industry.
“It was so inspiring. You see brands like Coach, but not always the people behind them. Meeting designers and hearing their journeys made me realize they all started somewhere, which motivated me to keep working and learning.”
Goodman will return to New York over the summer to continue working with members of Coach’s visual experience team. She hopes the experience will narrow her focus within the marketing field and point her toward a meaningful career.
“Alexis was a true joy to have in class, and I was always so impressed by the quality of her work and the passion she brought into every presentation,” Dr. Banzuelo said. “I am so proud of her achievement and know she will represent Marymount well this summer and in all her future endeavors.”
The most valuable lesson Goodman learned through this experience, she says, is to “do it scared.”
“Don’t avoid opportunities because they’re intimidating. Do the thing even if it scares you. I’ve grown the most by stepping outside my comfort zone and not being afraid to fail.”
