After Joan Eble’s legendary reign, Pinewood has welcomed a new office manager into our community. Now, Andrea Sanchez has taken up the post behind the office desk and is looking forward to the remainder of the school year. 

Sanchez is a fun but not obvious pick for the position because she has never studied management of any kind. In fact, she went to school at San Jose State University and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in musical theater. So, the Pinewood Performing Arts will likely have an enthusiastic new audience member, and any seniors looking to major in the arts may have a new mentor behind the Pinewood office desk.

Sanchez works for Starting Arts, a local theater company, where she helps put on shows for children. This gig satisfies her theatrical passions. However, she has also always worked in an office environment, starting with a church where she helped with childcare. These two jobs offered her plenty of exposure to working with kids. 

“I feel like Pinewood is a place where I can use all of my talents and experiences from the past and get to put it together,” Sanchez said. 

When asked about her impression of Pinewood so far, Sanchez gave a positive response. “You guys are not afraid to talk to teachers, which I love,” Sanchez said. “I just like watching you guys bond with each other. It’s like a family.”

Sanchez has a lot of personality to share and wisdom to impart in her new position, and she hopes students will stop by the office to meet her. 

“Just because I’m sitting in an office doesn’t mean that I’m not approachable,” Sanchez said. “I definitely want them to feel comfortable coming into the office and telling me how their day has been. Even if you just want to vent, I’m totally here for that. It gets pretty lonely in the office by myself.”