Current Fellows

Andrew Brockman Second-Year Fellow Grant Focus: Southwest Region

• Butler University, '07 in Marketing
• Intern, The Indy Partnership
• Intern, United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Indiana
• Volunteerism: Eagle Creek State Park, Rebuilding The Wall, Indiana School for the Deaf and Blind
• Philanthropy: Delta Tau Delta Trike La Tron benefiting Riley's Children's Hospital
• Vice President of Finance, Butler American Marketing Association
• Assistant Treasurer, Delta Tau Delta
• Studied abroad in Latvia

"The fellowship will be a great chance for me to grow as a person and give back to the community as well as to the game of golf that has given so much to me. I am truly excited to become a part of an organization that improves the lives of others through philanthropic means. Golf, as well as other sports, should be equally accessible to all individuals and I am very excited to be a part of making that reality."

Rebecca Calderara First-Year Fellow Grant Focus: North CentralRegion

• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill '08, in Journalism and Mass Communication, Minor in Art History
• Office of New Student & Carolina Parents Program, Project Coordinator
• North Carolina Museum of Art, Education Intern
• Pine Needles Lodge & Country Club, Public Relations Intern
• North Carolina Arts Council, Marketing Intern
• Frank Porter Graham Student Union, Graphic Design Intern
• Pinehurst Resort, Public Relations Intern
• APPLES Service Learning public relations committee member
• UNC Dance Marathon Outreach committee member and participant, raising money for the UNC Children's hospital
• Studied abroad in Florence, Italy

"I take pride in being a part of the USGA, an organization that has had a profound impact on the lives of others through the game of golf. From the first hole to the last, golf is a game of integrity, honesty and perseverance. As a fellow and as a golfer, I am excited and honored to be given the opportunity to aid in spreading the values of golf as well as making the game more accessible and affordable for everyone. I am also thankful for the unparalleled experience the fellowship will provide to develop professionally and personally through service for others."

Chris Czarnecki Second-Year Fellow Grant Focus: West Region

• Wake Forest University '07 in English, Minor in History
• Financial Representative Intern, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 2005-2007
• Student Intern, Wake Forest University Press, 2006-2007
• Habitat for Humanity Global Village Volunteer, Franca, Brazil, August 2006
• Range Worker, Jerry Haas Golf Camp, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (4 years)
• Caddie, Eagle Point Golf Club, Wilmington, North Carolina, Summer 2004
• Studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain

"Ever since my grandfather introduced the game of golf to me as a child, I have understood and fully believed in the game's versatility in helping one develop as an individual. As a Fellow at the USGA I have the opportunity to help provide access to the game to those who otherwise may not have the opportunity. These individuals will thus be able to take from the game whatever it is they choose whether it be its inherent values, the relationships it helps to forge, the physical satisfaction of the game, or the solitude it provides. I believe that each individual who experiences the great game of golf will personalize their experience with it as I have and allow it to help them grow."

Lindsay Erickson First-Year Fellow Grant Focus: Southwest Region

• Washington and Lee University, '08 in Business Administration
• Four-year member, one-year Captain, one-year Student Coach, W&L Women's Cross Country Team
• One-year member, W&L Women's Swim Team
• President, GeneralService community service organization
• Account Executive Director and Co-Founder, Aduro student advertising organization
• Williams Investment Society
• Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society
• Recruitment Counselor, Kappa Delta Sorority
• Intern, National Football League, Community Affairs Department
• Intern, Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association

"As a lifelong athlete, I believe in the ability of sports to have a positive and unique impact on people's lives, teaching lessons that are best learned outside the classroom. I can say with confidence that athletics have helped me develop many values and characteristics including hard work, focus, dedication, leadership, teamwork, and a can-do attitude that have shaped the person I am today, and it is my goal to help others benefit in much the same way. Through the Fellowship, I hope to use the game of golf to provide children and individuals with disabilities the opportunity to learn and grow in ways that will affect all facets of their lives, while also continuing my own personal and professional development."

Erica Goodman Third-Year Fellow Projects: JuniorLinks.com and Resource Center for Individuals with Disabilities

• Middlebury College '06, American Studies, Concentration: History. Magnum Cum Laude
• Completed senior thesis project on the implications of television news on American citizenship during the Vietnam and 1991 Persian Gulf Wars
• Middlebury College Women's Varsity Basketball, 3 years
• Weekly columnists for The Middlebury Campus with column entitle "Rural Banter"
• Recipient of the John M. McCardell, Jr. Public Service Award, the Barbara Buchanan '62 Community Outreach Award and the VCC / TD Banknorth Commitment to Service and Engagement Award for trail restoration with the Middlebury Area Land Trust, the creation of Middlebury chapter of the National Marrow Donor Program, and for work with the MC Alliance for Civic Engagement
• Time Inc. Law Department, Intern, 2005AmeriCorps Student Service Leadership Corps and Vermont Civic Fellow, 2004

Jack Hendrickson Second-Year Fellow Grant Focus: North Central Region

• University of Wisconsin-Madison `07 in Political Science, Certificate in Business
• Three-year member Mu Kappa Tau Honorary Marketing Club, Fundraising Committee
• Two-year Outside Service Attendant/Mentor at Bishops Bay Country Club
• Two-year volunteer, The First Tee of Madison
• Caddie, U.S. Senior Open 2005, U.S. Mid-Amateur 2004, 2005
• Intern, Law Offices of Lindner & Marsack, S.C.
• Three-year captain, UW Intramural Ice Hockey

"I grew up playing and working in the golf arena and have seen the many values and lessons learned by engaging with the game. The Fellowship will provide an exciting opportunity to combine my enthusiasm for golf with my desire to provide access to young individuals who may not otherwise have the chance to experience the game. In working towards that mission I am eager to gain valuable professional experience while continuing to grow personally. I am honored to be a part of the USGA and its proud tradition of making positive impacts through the use of sport."

Megan Higgins Second-Year Fellow Grant Focus: Great Plains Region

• Whitman College '06 in Psychology, Minor in Education and Sports Studies
• Four year-letterman and three-year captain of the Women's Basketball Team
• Elementary School Special Education Assistant teaching functional life skills to severely developmentally delayed children, 2006-2007
• Assistant Women's Basketball Coach Whitman College, 2006-2007
• El Pomar Foundation Intern working with Colorado nonprofit organizations though community stewardship programs and traditional grant-making, 2005

"For as long as I can remember, sports have played a significant role in my life. They have been more than significant; they have shaped me, inspired me, taught me how to lead, taught me how to follow, and are the reason I am the person I am today. Although fairly new to the game of golf, I am positive that golf can have the same impact on others' lives as sports have had on mine. The fellowship is an opportunity for me to reach out to individuals and allow the game of golf to be the vehicle to their development of commitment, leadership, dedication and passion that will carry though all aspects of their lives."

Matt Keys Third-Year Fellow Projects: Kids On Course and Communications

• Dickinson College '06 in International Business and Management
• Intern, TransCore: Northeast Engineering Group, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
• Three-year Career Coach, Dickinson College Career Center
• Four-year member of the Dickinson College Men's Basketball Team
• Three-year Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll
• Volunteer, Project S.H.A.R.E., Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Emily Kolbe Second-Year Fellow Grant Focus: Southeast Region

• Grinnell College '07 in History
• Four-year letter winner Grinnell College Softball
• Four-year letter winner Grinnell College Women's Basketball
• Grinnell College Community Mini-Grant Program
• Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
• History department tutor

"My experiences as an athlete convinced me of the potential for positive impact through participation in sports. I am excited to join an organization dedicated to reaching out to others who have not yet had the chance to experience the values and lessons inherent in athletics. The USGA Fellowship gives me the opportunity to live that belief, while at the same time continuing my personal and professional development in the non-profit sector."

Daniel McKegney First-Year Fellow Grant Focus: Southeast Region

• Denison University '08 in Economics, Minor in Chemistry
• President of Phi Gamma Delta, 2007
• President of Denison Club Lacrosse, 2006
• Treasurer and Captain of Denison Club Hockey, 2007
• Volunteer / Tutor, Outville Church School, Granville, OH
• Intern, Healthtrac Inc., Mobile Diagnostic Testing Service
• Pro Shop Employee, Westwood Country Club, Williamsville, N.Y.
• Toastmasters International Member
• Studied abroad in Adelaide, Australia

"Personally I was drawn to the fellowship by the appropriate balance between supporting the game of golf and professional development. Growing up playing the game and working at a country club I experienced first-hand, the inherent life skills and the character building associated with playing golf. The fellowship will fine-tune my professional skills and help me attempt to make golf a part of every young person's life. The For the Good of the Game initiative is so significant because it makes golf accessible to those left out such as individuals with disabilities or those restricted by economic limitation. In the past ten years USGA supported programs have reached 2.5 million lives and they continue to make substantial strides to close these gaps. I am proud to be a part of the future of this initiative and help its' influence grow."

Meghan Naik Second-Year Fellow Grant Focus: Northeast Region

• University of Illinois '07 in Speech Communication, Minor in Spanish
• Four-year member, two-year Captain, Varsity Women's Golf Team
• Student representative to the Athletic Board at the University of Illinois
• Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, two-year member
• Intern, PGA TOUR, Communications Coordinator, 2005
• Two Time Arthur Ashe Junior Award winner for excellence in service, athletics, and academics
• Speech Communication Leaders Organization, Charter member
• Volunteer, Crisis Nursery

"Living across the street from a golf course was not what led me to play the game. It was the influence of my family, people in the community, resources like junior golf programs and handed down golf clubs, and the direction from my coaches and mentors. Unfortunately, not all children are afforded these same resources to become introduced to and play the game. Through this fellowship, I am given the tools to make playing the game possible for children regardless of their backgrounds, allowing them to attempt a sport that teaches them life skills to grow as individuals. I feel honored to have the opportunity to give back to and spread the game while developing my own career goals in a professional setting."

Araceli Ortiz First-Year Fellow Grant Focus: West Region

• Stanford University, MA '08 in Latin American Studies; BA '08 in International Relations (Economics Concentration), Minor in Portuguese
• Four-year member, Women's Varsity Rowing Team
• Admission's Associate, Stanford University Office of Undergraduate Admission 2007-08
• Peer Mentor, 2005-2008
• Four-Year Member/Advisor, Latino Business Student Association
• Volunteer with Special Olympics, Upward Bound, and Habla la Noche (tutoring SU custodial workers in English)
• Intern, Boys Hope Girls Hope (Vida Jovem) in São Paulo, Brazil, Summer 2007
• Marketing Intern, Women's National Basketball Association, Chicago Sky, Summer 2006
• Intern, Merrill Lynch in New York, Summer 2005
• Victim Liaison Intern, Cook County State's Attorney's Office, Summer 2004
• JP Morgan Good Venture Competition U.S. Runner-up 2008
• SU Community Award '05, '08
• Studied Abroad in Santiago, Chile

"Throughout my life I have seen the positive impact of sport on the lives of many individuals, particularly my own. I began playing sports because I was jealous that my brother was on a sports team and I wasn't. Since then, thirteen years ago now, I have participated in a wide range of sports: Varsity Volleyball, Basketball, and Softball in high school, and Varsity Rowing in college. Although golf is a sport I've only recently taken up, I am excited about the opportunity to spread its values and lessons to as many children as possible. I'm particularly excited to work with Girls Golf to further spread sports opportunities to girls, because I know firsthand the positive effects that they can have on a girl's life."

Bryan Patterson First-Year Fellow Grant Focus: Great Plains Region

• Connecticut College `08 in History
• Three-year member NCAA DIII Connecticut College Men's Hockey Team
• Four-year Instructor at the Carolina Hurricanes (NHL) Summer Youth Hockey Camps
• Five-year Volunteer Coach, Raleigh Youth Hockey Association
• Two-year Golf Course Maintenance, Raleigh Golf Association (RGA)
• Legal Intern & Contract Manager, Global Knowledge Worldwide IT & Business Training
• One- year Captain, Connecticut College Club Hockey Team
• President & Captain, Connecticut College Club Golf Team

Alex Ray First-Year Fellow Grant Focus: Northeast Region

• The University of Texas at Austin '08 in Kinesiology, Business Foundations Program; Highest Honors
• Founder and President, Texas Golf Club
• Treasurer, University Investors Association
• Intern, Agile Investments
• Intern Tutor, Travis High School
• Market Researcher and Interviewer, AEC Group Ltd
• Sole Proprietor, environmentally-friendly lawn mowing business
• Volunteerism: Brackenridge Hospital, Down Home Ranch, McCabe Golf Course, Explore UT, and ten pro golf tournaments (including U.S. Open, Australian Open, and New Zealand Open)
• Studied abroad in Townsville, Australia

"Ever since my dad introduced me to golf, it has played an important role in my life. Golf is a game that can be played for a lifetime and should be accessible to all. Through the Fellowship, I look forward to positively impacting the lives of young people and individuals with disabilities. It is an honor to have this unique opportunity that allows me to promote the game while growing personally and professionally."