The First Tee: Participants Get a Taste of College

As Mark Twain once said, ‘plan for the future, because that’s where you are going to spend the rest of your life.’ Planning for the future is one of the six Core Lesson’s focused on through Eagle Level Curriculum programs at The First Tee of the Sandhills. During this portion of the curriculum, participants are engaged in self-exploration, academic and career exploration, and implementation. Throughout these exercises, we work to expose the high school age participants to various aspects of development including diversity, finances, scheduling and futures opportunities across many industries. Thanks to the support of Methodist University, Eagle Level participants were able to spend a full day on campus where they learned about the admissions process, financial planning for college, what the Professional Golf Management program is and career doors it can open up after college, as well as touring the facilities and getting to play at little golf at the on campus course. Here’s a little glimpse into their day on campus. Jamie Legg, the Dean of Admissions, spoke about GPA, SAT, and ACT scoring – explaining what the University looks for in student performance. He stressed the importance of making good grades throughout High School and how they weight GPA above ACT & SAT. Why? Because it shows which students put work in daily to succeed! Mr. Legg also discussed the finances of attending college and in turn how to prepare to apply for scholarships and financial aid. Next up was Kyle Fera, the PGM Program recruiter. Kyle spoke about the expansion of the golf industry and the vast variety of career opportunities that continue to develop, how these careers are becoming more specialized and the importance of aligning your career interests with internships throughout college. As part of the Professional Golf Management program, college students are required to complete a minimum of four internships. Kyle shared a map of all the locations across the United States that Methodist PGM students have completed internships over the last seven years and the variety of exposure opportunities that were apart of these assignments. PGM students can plug into learning opportunities that range from facility management and operations, teaching, club fitting, tournament operations, youth programs, and much more! After lunch, Brock White, PGM Director, gave participants a tour of the University’s golf facility. In addition to the outdoor golf amenities, Methodist University has built indoor hitting bays, a putting lab and club fitting studio. All aspects of the industry that students will be engaged in to learn how to be successful in the future. The on campus experience at Methodist University provided participants an opportunity for both college and career exploration. As a follow up to this hands on experience, participants then utilized tools provided in their Eagle Curriculum Yardage Books to complete self-assessments on their interests, personality, skills and values – aiding in the process of determining the right campus and career fit, as well as next steps for future planning. Thanks to the Methodist University staff, our local participants left engaged, excited and enthusiastic about their next steps.