I struggle with applying for the Hulede scholarship again. I feel somewhat guilty knowing there are others just like myself with the same dream of becoming a golfer. Like myself they lack the necessary tools and resources to reach that goal. My journey is becoming more difficult. I have accomplished so many goals thus far, but my most meaningful goal lies ahead. I want to become a professional golfer. I have won golf tournaments in New Jersey, my high school golf team won states two years in a row, and I was recruited to play D-1 golf at Seton Hall and other division II and II collegiate golf programs. Conversely, progression toward improving my golf game to compete at a professional level is slow and at times regressive. I believe in myself and the opportunities afforded to me so I strive to improve my game. Currently I am a junior at Seton Hall University with a 3.8 GPA majoring in journalism. To be honest I chose journalism because I thought it would allow me time to work on my golf game. Little did I know that my major would give me an opportunity to intern writing for Seton Hall’s Facebook page covering women’s basketball. The internship has given me a peek into sports reporting and affirmed my choice of journalism as a major. I now see I can use my skills to be a voice for others. So many individuals’ stories go untold. A long history of racism and exclusion for African American golfers and caddies remains an incomplete untold story. I am learning about this history and understand so much remains to be shared. Attending Seton Hall has opened my eyes to the importance of volunteer work, which takes me far away from golf. I work ten to fifteen hours per month at Catholic Charities soup kitchen serving people struggling with food insecurity. Our campus is a half block away from a kid’s playground park that is constantly littered with trash. Seeing the park’s condition I and my friends decided to volunteer picking up trash at least once a month so kids can have a clean playground. At times volunteering takes me away from golf, which at times is a personal struggle, but now I realize helping and sacrificing for others is just as important. So many people just need someone to care if only for a few moments. Small acts of helping others can have an impact beyond our ability to comprehend. I plan to continue volunteering and looking for opportunities to help people in need. Which brings me to my parents and the sacrifice they make to help me on my journey. The financial need is even greater now because golf team members live in a house off campus and share rent and utilities with teammates for a full calendar year. This expense is not fully covered by my merit, golf and third-party scholarships, thus requiring my parents to pay for rent in addition to the expenses they pay for tournaments, equipment and golf lessons. Receiving the Hulede Collegiate Golf Scholarship would greatly assist I and my parents in meeting those financial obligations. My journey so far has been filled with many ups and downs, I have a long way to go and plan to become the best I can be no matter where golf takes me.

Question 1 In my spare time, I am an active member of the Seton Hall Martin Luther King Leadership Program. Members of this association engage in a four-year journey in social activism, community service, and leadership evolution. Our program is dedicated to upholding the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I am learning more about how he addressed systemic racism and oppression in his life. We then used his philosophy and teachings to find solutions to issues that plague our communities. The MLK leadership program has encouraged me to become a leader in my community. I am using the knowledge, gained to educate others on how we can begin to counteract systemic racism and oppression. Furthermore, members of the MLK Leadership Program complete a minimum of 40 hours of community service year. We spend Saturday mornings volunteering at the Franciscan Charities soup kitchen in Newark, New Jersey. I have met some amazing people who dedicate their lives to helping those in need, and I’ve gained a greater understanding of the living situations of those who are impoverished living in underserved communities. Lastly, with help from the MLK leadership program my friends and I, began a weekly park cleanup service. The MLK scholars clean and remove trash from Ivy Hill Park for two hours. Through our efforts residents in the community have a more enjoyable experience. Being a participant in the MLK program has motivated and given me the tools needed to help others now and in the future. Question 2 I am currently majoring in creative writing. I enjoy reading contemporary fiction novels. The fantastic work of authors such as Jason Reynolds, Nic Stone, and Angie Thomas has inspired me to study creative writing. However, since attending college, my interests have slightly changed. Initially I envisioned college would inspire me to create short stories and poetry for my writing portfolio. Instead, my two core English classes required me to develop personal narratives that connect with the in-class reading material. I found this approach to English literature study unfulfilling. I began to explore other outlets for my creative side. I had an opportunity to try my hand at sports journalism, where I wrote a column on Shohei Ohtani’s offseason free agency contract negotiations for the sports section of the Stillman Exchange Seton Hall’s sports column. I enjoyed combining my sports knowledge and creative writing skills to create a sophisticated yet engaging opinion pieces. I also feel that sports journalism is a great way for me to explore alternate career paths. My dream is to become a PGA professional. If that goal is not attainable, I want to pursue a career in sports journalism. After graduating from college, I would like to further immerse myself in sports journalism while working toward my goal of becoming a PGA professional. Question 3 Currently, in my spare time I volunteer at the Franciscan Charities soup kitchen in Newark, New Jersey. The Franciscan Charities soup kitchen feeds hundreds of families in Newark every week, and they are dedicated to improving the lives of those living in poverty and underserved communities. I prepare and distribute meals to families in need. Through this experience, I will continue to expand my community service skills and opportunities to help underserved communities. Additionally, I will continue to lead the weekly park cleanup service at Ivy Hill Park. Continuing this program will promote a more welcoming and wholesome environment, making Ivy Hill Park the ideal place for Newark, Irvington, and South Orange community events. My passion for the game of golf has given me a desire to grow the game in underserved communities. I will seek opportunities to volunteer with First Tee programs and share my journey as a junior golfer to becoming a member of a Division I collegiate golf program. I want to share my love of the game of golf with children who have never had an opportunity to hit a golf club. Currently I volunteer with the PGA professionals at my home course (Heron Glen). I assist with the operation of their PGA Jr. League, Junior Summer Camps, and First Tee programs. Overall, I want to help grow the game in the BIPOC community by sharing my experience of how golf has richly impacted my life. Question 4 Being a recipient of the Hulede Collegiate Golf Scholarship would significantly help me continue the pursuit of my goal of having a career as a professional golfer. The scholarship will help with the cost of my tuition at Section Hall by reducing my parents’ financial obligation. In addition, the scholarship would help me afford the various expenses required of competitive amateur golfers. Travel and tournament fees are a financial barrier to participating in various non- NCAA golf tournaments. The path to becoming a PGA professional requires tournament participation. In addition, a portion of the scholarship would help pay for golf club fittings and equipment replacement when needed. Having updated equipment is important because it allows me to perform up to my full potential. Lastly, the scholarship would help me network within the golf industry while attending tournaments and community golf outings. Connecting with influential figures in the golf industry will afford me an opportunity to not only work toward my career goals but help promote diversity within the game as BIPOC representative. As a junior golfer I had opportunities to compete in numerous junior tournaments such as: the APGA, the Jim Thorpe Invitational, and the Mack Champ Invitational. I met many BIPOC junior golfers from around the United States. I would love an opportunity to contribute to the development and evolution of programs for future BIPOC golfers .

I began learning how to play golf at 3 years old when I first saw Tiger Woods on TV and my mom bought a toy set of golf clubs. While watching him swing I would try to imitate what I saw. I fell in love with golf and his style of play. Tiger Woods made golf seem accessible and doable for anyone who had the desire to play the game. I began playing junior golf tournaments at the age of six. The game I love presented many challenges. Golf is an expensive sport, and my parents met the financial demands of equipment, lessons, and attending tournaments to the best of their ability, I did not have the tools other players possessed, so I had to work harder and learn to get better with what I had. I learned I could compete with other kids and not worry about what I lacked. I also learned that one of the important aspects to the game of golf is integrity. Many times, I observed players violating rules whether they were aware or not, sometimes they faced consequences and sometimes they got away with cheating. Once at a tournament I called out my infraction which cost me the opportunity to advance to another round of play, I felt good about myself because I knew I did the right thing even when the opportunity to cheat consequence free existed. Knowing I choose to honor the game in a time when the norm is to "win at all costs" meant more to me than winning that tournament. The discipline I learned to apply when playing golf translated to my academic studies. My mom told me learning was important so I could become smart. I did not understand but I knew that learning how to count helped me keep me and my golf opponents scores, so math quickly became my favorite subject. I began to enjoy learning about other subjects like geography and science. My hard work helped me enter my elementary, middle, and high schools "gifted and talented" programs which lead to acceptance in the National Honor Society. My ability to excel in my studies, gave me the opportunity to help other students at my high school. I participated in my high schools after school tutorial program. I tutored lower classmen 2-4 hours per week helping with homework and test preparation. I want to become a professional golfer and help grow the game of golf. I have achieved many of my golf goals from high school golf team captain, winning 2022 and 2023 NJ state championships, participating in the PGA High School Invitational, winning tournaments, and earning a partial scholarship to play D-I collegiate golf. Yet, there is long road before me to achieve my career goals. After earning academic and athletic scholarships the cost of tuition, housing and fees is not fully covered. My parents struggle financially to make up the difference. Thus far the short fall requires loans and credit card debt, so I apply to scholarships to help ease the financial burden. The Morgan Levine Dolan scholarship will significantly help reduce the expenses my parents incur, in addition to helping me pursue my dream of becoming a PGA golf professional.