Never give up! by Kaitlyn

Never give up! by Kaitlyn - May 2022 Scholarship Essay

My paternal grandparents own a golf course, and my maternal grandparents are both golfers. My birth father was the one who introduced me to the game. The game seemed to be our only common interest and our main bonding point. A solid performance appeared to please him when little else did. For one of the first times in my life, I was getting attention from my dad, and I felt he was proud of me. This feeling of making him proud was then something I tried every day to do, not knowing at the time that it was not actually something I would ever accomplish. The older I got the more I pushed myself, but it seemed like no matter how well I played or how much time I spent practicing it was never going to be enough for him. Once he realized that I was not going to be a “child prodigy”, he gave up interest. Taking me golfing changed from something he enjoyed doing to a chore he hated, and he had to drink his way through it. Because of this, I began to hate the game. Eventually, the relationship between my father and me continued to disintegrate to a point where I almost gave up the game of golf.

The summer before my junior year, I started working at my local golf course. Almost immediately, I felt the joy and love come back into my life. My job soon became my passion. I started showing up early to shifts and staying late just to play a few more rounds. Life only improved when my coworker became my best friend; I met my best friend because of golf! Golf has helped build my character and set me apart from my peers. My job at the golf course improved my networking and people skills.

Today, I owe a lot of who I am to the game of golf and the lessons it has taught me. At the end of the day, the place I feel most confident, comfortable and at home is on a golf course. Now, I do understand that it may sound silly or childish to say that a game or a job changed my life, but I truly believe it has. The physical, emotional, and mental skills I developed through golf are applicable to all other areas of my life. I have learned to overcome obstacles and develop mental toughness; this allowed me to put my relationships (both former and current) in perspective. I conquered the importance of breaking down larger concepts into smaller, more manageable steps, which allowed me to teach the game I love and succeed in the classroom. Finally, I learned that dedication leads to success, and success leads to confidence. Now, I will continue to move confidently in the direction of my dreams knowing that the mindset I honed through golf will allow me to succeed at the next level.