Meet our 2023 Scholarship Award Winners!

We ask our scholarship recipients:

Why have you chosen your career path?

Riley Ledin

I have chosen a career in golf course management because of my passion for golf.

When I began playing golf I immediately fell in love with the game. To fuel my passion for golf, I decided to get a job at the local golf course. This provided me with the opportunity to play free rounds and be immersed in the golf course environment. As I worked as a greenskeeper, I fell in love with my job even more than golf. I enjoy the challenge of keeping the course in excellent condition and ensuring that golfers have an exceptional experience. I am inspired by the superintendents at my course, who have an immense knowledge of the industry and are very talented. They have inspired me to follow in their footsteps and pursue a career in golf course management. I am excited to learn more about the industry, gain valuable experience, and work towards becoming a superintendent myself.

Derrick Le

My goals first and foremost are powerlifting and career advancement.

I want to make the US National Team for the IPF World Championships this year, and in the span of 3-5 years become the world champion in my age group. Simultaneously, I’ll put in extra hours and work as hard as possible to move up the ranks and become an assistant superintendent. In 10 years I wholeheartedly believe that I would be able to become the superintendent of either the course I currently work at or a different course.

Ryan Bowler

My father has been a baseball coach since before I was born and is still coaching in the college level.

I remember how much time he put not just being there for practices and games but even on off days taking care of the field itself and maintaining the turf all year round. I remember how green and lush the infield was especially and I always loved helping take care of it. Now, growing up playing golf with my grandfather who introduced me to the game peaked my interest when I was 14 years old. Combining the two together to make a beautiful golf course and help relive my childhood is a nice thing – to remember what my dad loved to do and what I see myself doing for a career. Taking care and managing a course that people from everywhere would love to play is a huge drive of why I want to get into golf management. Especially, once my AS is acquired I will be working on Pebble Beach for a couple of years.

Joshua Poshard

I love golf, I take pride in the course I work at, and love to make it the best possible in the area.

Further, I would like to build my career in this and move up the ranks to superintendent.

Colin Bastis

I originally had an interest in solely Business, but I figured I would not have a secure academic future because of the sheer popularity of that degree.

So, upon further thought, after seeing my Dad enjoy the most out of his career and education in the Agricultural industry as he possibly could, I decided I would essentially forge my own path in this industry and merge my original interest with a newly developed one. I was lucky enough to find out that there was a degree that combined aspects of both, Agricultural Business.

Mia Nettz

I have chosen a career in business because I think it is interesting to see how companies work around the line that is success against failure.

I want to focus in Marketing because I like to watch how businesses try to attract customers through product design, how they advertise it, and even how individual stores attempt to keep people buying. A friend of mine told me about a class she took that was about the effects of music, and how stores use different kinds of music to keep people shopping. I thought this was fascinating because I had never noticed it before, but now it is something I am aware of when I shop.