After writing this article for William & Mary’s athletic department, they published it in their Women in Action’s newsletter and invited me to Richmond to speak at a luncheon.
If I could take only one lesson with me into my professional golf career from my time at William and Mary, I would have to choose not being afraid to hear the word “no.” When I was in high school, I feared rejection to the point that I would avoid it by not even asking for what I wanted. No longer.
My experiences at William and Mary casted away my fears and inspired me to become a go-getter. I found myself frequently saying “Why not?” in the face of intimidating situations, and I believe I became stronger for it. This mantra gave me quite the eclectic college experience, and I would not trade it for the world. Taking Russian my fall semester of freshman year sounded like a fun way to honor my ancestry; the thought of learning an entirely new alphabet was daunting, but I asked myself, “Why not?” To this day, I still cannot believe where Russian has taken me – to the Russian House on campus for two years, to a two-month language immersion program in Vermont, and even to Russia itself with the W&M study abroad program! That one simple question took me on an adventure I will never forget and one that I hope is not over yet.
When my coach asked for SAAC representatives at the end of my first season, I thought, “Why not?” Spending three years with other student-athletes and the athletic department off the golf course created friendships and memories I never would have found had I stayed complacent. I was able to put my marketing degree to good use as the Public Relations Chair for two of those years (you can probably figure out what I asked myself when I wondered if I should even run for that position!). I had no idea that my newly-found go-getter attitude then would help my golf career now.
Turning professional after college was a dream come true. I joke that I live a retired life, golfing every day and traveling the world, but I promise there is hard work occurring behind the scenes. Aside from the physical and mental training, I run a business and try to brand myself as a smart investment to potential sponsors. Asking myself “Why not?” has allowed me to gain exposure in the golf world in ways I could never have imagined. When my swing coach told me to buy a putting aid, I instead reached out to the company, Blast Motion, on Instagram. I offered my writing services in exchange for the product because, by then, I knew that the worst they could say was, “No.” Months later, I continue to guest-write on their blog and am even part of their most recent video series! A prosperous relationship that became a precedent for more connections all because W&M taught me to not fear rejection.
My favorite time to ask “Why not?” is when doing so reconnects me with William and Mary. I was scrolling through LinkedIn one day when I noticed that the Mason School of Business was hosting an event this summer themed “Networking through Golf.” I could not help but be excited about potentially giving back to the school who gave me so much. I reached out to my former marketing professor, Dr. Edmiston, and she gave me the contact information for the event coordinator. A couple months later, I was on my way to Williamsburg to teach a golf clinic and speak on a panel with two executive partners. That one email to my professor began a chain reaction, and I found myself back in Williamsburg twice more this summer. Most recently, I joined 11 other LPGA players in the Jimmy Connor Pro-Am. I loved being able to raise money for the athletic department who gave me the chance to become the golfer I am today.
While rejection is still a rampant part of any professional golfer’s career, I feel fortunate that William and Mary taught me to ask despite the potential “no.” The fact that my inquiries led me back to the Tribe in an entirely new capacity only makes me that much more thankful that my athletic department and my professors inspired me to begin taking chances all those years ago.
See more in the Women in Action newsletter.