Hulede Collegiate Golf Scholarship

My name is Kci Lindskog and I am a proud golf student-athlete at Thee Illustrious Texas Southern University. I am a rising junior majoring in sports management with a business focus. I consider myself quite avid to participate in community service hours for my classes, the African Student Association, and the Student Athletic Advisory Committee. These services come in the form of car washes, event organizing, community reach outs, Houston food bank services, etc. Some other things that we are big on are supporting other sports by coming out and supporting their games. I find it to be my duty when I graduate to offer mentorship to aspiring young golfers or student-athletes in my community. As an aspiring touring professional getting into the NCAA D1 spotlight was vital in this journey I am currently undergoing, and I fully understand what it is like to have nobody in my community come from this stage to show me the proper steps in achieving this milestone. I also intend to engage in community outreach programs such as the first tee, where I will be interning this summer. This involvement helps promote the values of teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship to the next generation. I find this effective in my contribution to the community because of the effectiveness of this organization in creating opportunities for groups of people who may not have access to them. Another way I see myself contributing to my community is through Alumni engagement which will allow me to stay connected with Texas Southern University by participating in alumni events, fundraisers, and networking opportunities, supporting the university's mission, connecting with fellow alumni, and helping create opportunities for future student-athletes and those to come after them. College is a pivotal point in my life where I need to make the most of my "shelter" from the real world and maximize the opportunity to create an abundance of opportunities for myself coming out of it. I plan on using college to delve into academic subjects of interest and pursue intellectual growth which involves setting academic goals, seeking research opportunities, and aiming for academic honors. I also see that college is a time to develop myself as a golf player in achieving more athletic awards and goals to be a touring professional along with developing a wide range of skills that may involve joining organizations related to my interests, participating in extracurricular activities, honing leadership skills, and seeking out internships or part-time jobs to gain practical experience. Finally, I've realized the power and importance of creating networks and forming connections with fellow students, student-athletes, professors, alumni, and professionals in your field of interest. Building a strong network can lead to valuable opportunities and mentorship. The significance of receiving financial aid cannot be overstated, and I wanted to convey just how much it means to me. Receiving this scholarship would not only alleviate the financial burden of pursuing my education but would also open doors to endless possibilities. It would provide me with the resources and support necessary to fully immerse myself in my studies, my golf, and my overall goals. It would enable me to focus on my academic pursuits without the constant worry of financial constraints, allowing me to reach my fullest potential. Beyond the financial aspect, this scholarship holds a profound symbolic value to me. It signifies recognition and validation of my hard work, dedication, and the aspirations I hold for my future. It is a reminder that my dreams and ambitions are valued and that I have the potential to make a meaningful impact on myself and my community.

1. I am currently working in the Chen Lab at Dartmouth College. This lab focuses on methylmercury and PFAS contamination in New England estuaries and waterways. Both these contaminants are linked to adverse health effects, including thyroid diseases and multiple forms of cancers. The level of contamination led to a fish advisory in New Hampshire in 2016. Pregnant women and young children are most impacted by this contamination, but the literature and research on this issue are sorely lacking. This lab aims to better understand the ways that PFAS travels up the food chain and is biomagnified. I also volunteer with the local library and read to the children around Hanover, NH. 2. My chosen field of study is a result of my experiences since birth. Black women and children face higher rates of mortality than their white counterparts. Engineering can help improve chances for recovery and life for patients, help make doctors' jobs more efficient, and lower the catastrophic results of implicit bias. I want to study Biomedical engineering to bring technology and innovation to the health sector because when technology and medicine join together, it can improve the outcomes for patients that need care. I am strong in math and science and I want to pursue a field that pulls upon my strengths and aligns with my passion to help my community. I plan to contribute to my community through leadership and service by pursuing an engineering degree focusing on healthcare and biomedical engineering. On the CDC Website, health disparities are defined as preventable differences in the burden of disease to achieve optimal health. “Health disparities exist in all age groups, and not all older adults are benefitting equally because of factors such as economic status, race, and gender.” Social determinants of health are “the conditions in places where people are born, live, work, and play.” These differences contribute to disparities in the US and globally. If we know this is occurring, we can work to bring technology and engineering together to help healthcare providers to end this issue. Everyone deserves quality healthcare. I want to try to help by working on medical devices and automation to avoid bias, and to improve care. 3. In my view, college is the best time for many things, particularly exploring interests and networking. Already I am learning more about my passions and interests. I have added government as a major, in addition to biomedical engineering. This decision came from taking 2 government classes that I found fascinating. I plan to take an African-American studies course this fall which I am extremely excited about as my high school only had one broad course on African-American history. Furthermore, college has given me many opportunities to network. I have met executives from Morgan Stanley, biotech companies, and Real estate moguls. I plan to continue networking and forming genuine connections with people. 4. My college tuition is currently $90,000 per year. This scholarship would go towards my tuition and thus decrease my student loan balance. I was also a recipient of this scholarship last year and it granted me real connections with other black collegiate golfers. This is something I am very grateful for as I am the only Black golfer in my conference. This scholarship would enrich my collegiate experience through the opportunities it offers beyond its monetary value. This is through many ways including NIL benefits, community, and, most importantly to me, mentorship.

1. Outside of golf, I enjoy serving the DC/Maryland/Virginia community as a member of Circle K. In this community service club, we attend events to help engage the community, such as packing groceries in DC communities for those in need or volunteering with children. Additionally, I enjoy being the social media chair for a club called Morgan's Message which helps spread awareness about mental health, specifically among student-athletes. I value this role as it is an essential platform for the student-athletes at Howard University. Lastly, back home during the summer, I enjoy volunteering with children through tutoring or golf camps. 2. After obtaining my undergraduate degree, I will attend law school to earn my JD. Upon graduating from law school, I plan to contribute to my community by volunteering my services in my spare time to those who may need legal guidance but cannot afford an attorney. Additionally, I hope to be able to help start a girl's summer golf camp or a girl golf program in which I will help other young African American girls learn the game of golf. While golf may be a sport, by assisting young girls in learning golf, I will inspire them to take advantage of various excellent opportunities and great networking opportunities that can serve as a foundation for their career and personal lives. 3. I plan to take advantage of the rest of my time in college by working extremely hard on and off the course. I am also taking advantage of the opportunities and people I am getting to meet by networking, asking questions, staying engaged, and being willing to put myself in uncomfortable positions. While my time in college will come to a close quickly, my goal is to continue to challenge myself to try new things and discover areas of the world that may be foreign to me. 4. Being a recipient of this scholarship would mean the world to me as it would relieve some of the financial stress my family has experienced trying to help pay the remainder of my tuition and, starting next year, my sister's tuition. Additionally, it would allow me to engage more on campus and with my peers, as I wouldn't need to spend as much time figuring out how to pay for the rest of the tuition between golf practice and school. Overall, it would be an incredible stress reliever going into my junior fall semester.

I am a Financial Economics major and a Data Science minor. My drive for success has allowed me to maintain a 4.0 GPA while also being a NCAA Student-Athlete. I play on the Women’s Golf team for Southwestern University, recently winning the 2023 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Golf Freshman of the Year Award. I am also an officer for the Southwestern University’s Business Club, an Elected representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, and a member of the Tri Delta Sorority. I have been blessed with the opportunity to accomplish many great things that I am very proud of in my first year of college, but the thing I am most proud of is being an older sister. As the oldest child in my entire extended family, it is in my nature to help other people. My whole life I have always had younger siblings and cousins looking up to me to set a good example and pave the way for the kids in our family. In college, I have taken on a similar role for the people around me. As a first child, my instincts to help others led me to one of my good friends, A boy from Mexico, who plays on the Men’s golf team, and was the first in his family to go to University in the United States. From helping him navigate his way through taking classes in a different language to teaching him how to do his laundry, my older-sibling instincts kicked in and allowed me to think quickly on my feet, organize and deal with many aspects of college that were going on at once, and be companionate towards others. In my future career in Business Finance, I will have a positive impact on the world around me by relying on my first-child instincts to help others. Not only do I want to just help those around me, but I want to be a mentor to the Hispanic Women that enter the Business Finance field after I do. Being a male-dominated industry, very few high-level positions are filled by women, and even fewer are filled by Hispanic women. In my personal experience, I have found it discouraging that I cannot relate to any of my mentors through gender or ethnicity. I believe that if Hispanic girls grow up seeing more women that they can relate to in high-level positions, they are more likely to strive for greatness. The Hulede Collegiate Golf Scholarship will help me accomplish my goal of being a mentor for Hispanic Women in the field of Business Finance by relieving some of the financial burdens that come along with college. By receiving this scholarship, I will be able to focus on my school, extracurriculars, and my goal of helping the future of Hispanic Businesswomen.

Set up. Breathe. Swing. Hit. This repetitive process has been in my life for as long as I can remember. Golf is inseparable from my life. What started as a way for a 2-year-old me to learn motor control evolved into something I couldn’t imagine living without. I was born 28-weeks premature and spent my first 3 months of life in the NICU at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. I spent my first 2 years of life visiting my pediatrician, and practitioners at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, as I worked to improve my developmental stages and coordination. Although I learned to walk later than others, I proved there is no obstacle too big to overcome. My parents introduced me to golf with the pink plastic Playskool Golf Clubs to work on coordination-and it worked! I have been in with golf since then. Everyday after school, my dad, sister, and I would load up into the car and drive 30 minutes to Mitchell’s Golf Course in Westminster, MD. We would hit and hit and hit, relishing the good, and improving the bad. I had many amazing coaches, mentors who I could depend on, though my parents are not natural golfers. Golf is such an important part of my life that influenced where I live and go to school. Our family had a chance to work in Africa for 5 years. We immediately connected with the Golf in Nigeria and South Africa. When my mom’s job moved her back to the States, she could’ve moved us anywhere in the US. They picked the ever sunny state of Florida- the golf capital of the world and a strong state for IB curriculum so that I could continue to develop. The director of golf for US Kids in the Northeast had moved to Florida and started a golf academy. We joined the academy right away. I met some of my closest friends at this academy. Even though I no longer attend, I practice there every day. I also volunteer to support the junior tournaments run by the Academy. I believe in giving back to the community and that volunteerism can start at any age. The people I met in tournaments are a second family. Ironically, golf allowed me to build a life outside of the sport. Socially, I am an introvert, and Golf brought me out of my shell and helped me truly enjoy life, even off the course. The solitude of Golf, positively supports an introvert’s natural tendencies. I am most comfortable pulling from inner strength, using critical thinking, and relying on my decision making. These are the gifts that this sport has given me at a young age. Even with great lessons, in golf, you must think about all outcomes and make decisions one hole at a time. As co-captain of my Varsity Golf team, I’ve helped my school win three district championships, one regional championship and two top five rankings in the state championships for the very challenging Region 4-Class 1A. I also shot my personal best during the 2021 regionals at Crandon Golf at Key Biscayne- 68. Beyond scores and awards, I formed such a close bond with all of the other girls on the golf team and with my coach, Pam Elders. Even though my high school career is ending, there are valuable lessons learned of hard work, dedication, relationship- building, and the fact that STEM is in every activity of life. These are the lessons I want to take to the next level, to my collegiate career, as a Biomedical Engineering student and collegiate player at Dartmouth.

In January 2009, I began playing golf at The First Tee of Greater Houston. Although I loved the First Tee program, I did not like golf at first. At the time, I found it to be extremely slow and uninteresting, and I would have preferred to be at home watching TV. However, I kept playing after realizing that I had some skill for the sport and could hit the ball quite far. My family was even informed by one of the First Tee teachers that I could be able to play at the collegiate level. I successfully completed First Tee's Ace class, which was the highest level. I liked helping out and mentoring the younger participants on Saturday mornings as well. One of the most significant influences on my life has been golf. I've been incredibly blessed to participate and travel all around Texas and the USA. I've met some amazing people through golf, and I've had the opportunity to play some wonderful courses. The game has also taught me the importance of progress over perfection and instilled in me virtues like patience, perseverance, humility, and the ability to handle adversity. To persevere in an idea, purpose, or task despite impediments is the definition of perseverance. Understanding what perseverance means is simple, but being able to exude it on the golf course in the midst of adversity is challenging. Golf has taught me that despite difficult breaks, poor strokes, and careless mistakes, I must persevere if I want to succeed. Throughout my high school career, I was the number one golfer and the team captain on the Pearland Lady Oiler Golf Team all four years. Including success at our district and regional tournaments throughout high school, my freshman year, I became the first golfer, male or female, from Pearland High School to qualify for the Texas UIL 6A Girls Golf State Championship by shooting a 76, 77 at our regional tournament. My senior year, I shattered the school record by posting a 74, 67 at regionals, to finish 3rd of 93 girls to advance to state for the second time. I advanced to state twice out of three golf seasons. After completing my first year of Division I golf at Howard University, I won Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year. As well, in the Northeast Conference I made the NEC All Conference Second Team (May 3, 2022), the All-Tournament Team at NEC Championship (April 22, 2022), and earned NEC Golfer of the Week (March 30, 2022). My aspirations include becoming an LPGA Tour Player, winning tournaments, and major championships. Less than 1% of black women work in the golf industry. More women of color playing golf is essential for the sport's development and continuation throughout the coming generations. My objective is to expand access to golf for minority youngsters after I am professional. My parents and I didn't know anything about the procedure when I started playing junior golf. To further promote diversity across gender, age, and cultural lines, I hope to share my experiences with incoming junior golfers. As a professional golfer, I will be able to serve as a global representative for people who have never considered the sport as an interest or seen themselves in golf.

My name is Rayab Lee and I am an 18-year-old rising sophomore on the Towson University Women’s Golf Team. I started playing from green to the tee when I was in sixth grade when my family and I were stationed at am Army military base on Okinawa island Japan. When we returned to the U.S. in eighth grade, my Father purchased my first set of golf clubs and I received my first lesson. After I decided to committ myself to the game of golf, I started practicing consistently and knew I could become one of the best ever to pick up a club. With that being said, I started practicing consistently and created a short term goal with aspirations of earning a collegiate golf scholarship. As you can probably guess, golf has had a huge impact on my life. Most of my goals past, present, and future are flooded with the sport. When I earn my bachelors degree in Computer Science/ Software Engineering, I hope to connect golf and computer science together and possibly work with a company that specializes in golf simulators. Another HUGE goal I am working towards everyday is earning my LPGA tour card and becoming the first African-American female to win a major. Through golf and my accomplishments, I hope to inspire thousands of adolescents, teens, young adults and everybody who knows me. I have dreamed of starting my own golf academy in the future for underprivileged children and possibly starting my own non profit organization. Since golf is a major part of my life, I don’t think I would be the same person if I was not introduced to the sport. I learned through hard work and dedication the importance of character, perseverance, and commitment to stay focused on my short and long term goals. I know that anything worth achieving takes dedication, time and planning and I believe golf teaches me how to focus and stay on task. These characteristics I’ve developed will help me throughout my future and bring the best out of me.

Michelle Obama once said, “Your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.” This quote has resonated with me as I reflect on how golf has had a lasting impact on my life. Throughout my life, I have lived in several different countries and cities including Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico, The Bahamas and most recently in Arlington and Sterling, Virginia. The reason for our constant moving is for the fact that my mother is employed within the federal government. With each relocation I have been afforded the opportunity to experience different cultures, languages, and religions. However, one of the factors that made each move easier for me to endure was the fact that I was able to play golf every place that we lived. Being able to participate in golf has taught me how to be determined, focused, patient, and resilient. The greatest aspect of my life has been the fact that when I play golf, I am able to constantly learn something new about myself every time I play. Golf has taught me many life lessons including how to be confident in myself which is something I struggled with when I was younger. Quite often during junior golf tournaments I have been the only African American in the field. The ability to interact with other players from different backgrounds while feeling true to myself and my own abilities has not also been easy. Nevertheless, I have been able to learn how to overcome these uncomfortable situations which has ultimately made me a stronger golfer and young woman. Through my involvement with golf, I have been able to thrive in unexpected situations. For instance, in September 2021, I was selected by The First Tee organization to play in The Pure Insurance Championship held at Pebble Beach golf course in California. I personally do not believe that if I hadn’t been such a self-assured person, I wouldn’t have been able to execute and perform under the pressures of this nationally televised event. On the 18th hole at Pebble Beach, I was interviewed by a Golf Channel commentator while still playing. During the interview, I had the opportunity to speak about my personal experiences playing golf while living abroad. Despite being slightly nervous, I was able to articulate myself during the live televised broadcast. Golf has helped me develop confidence in my abilities on and off the course. Not only has golf allowed me to develop personally, but it has also opened up doors to help continue my post secondary education. As a young junior golfer, I would watch the NCAA Women’s Championships on television with the hopes of one day being able to play collegiate golf like my role model Mariah Stackhouse. This fall I will continue my golf journey by playing Division 1 golf at Towson University which is a dream come true for me. At Towson, I will major in international studies with the hopes of working as a U.S Diplomat upon graduation in 2026. There is not one aspect of my life that has not been positively affected as a result of my involvement in golf, and for that I am truly grateful.