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Six New Graduates Join USGA's Fellowship Program
September 5, 2008
Far Hills, N.J. - Six recent college graduates, representing a wide variety of interests and academic backgrounds, have joined the USGA's Fellowship in Leadership and Service program.
They are: Rebecca Calderara of West End, N.C. (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill); Lindsay Erickson of Silver Spring, Md. (Washington and Lee University); Daniel McKegney of Buffalo, N.Y. (Denison); Araceli Ortiz of Chicago, Ill. (Stanford); Bryan Patterson of Holly Springs, N.C. (Connecticut College); and Alex Ray of Nashville, Tenn. (University of Texas)
The graduates represent course emphasis in Journalism, Business, Economics, International Relations, History, and Kinesiology, and all have participated in a variety of leadership and growth activities to augment their education.
"We are excited to usher in a new class of Fellows - a group of dynamic, young college graduates looking to impact the lives of others," said Judy Bell, USGA Consulting Director and Grants Committee member. "During the next two years, each Fellow will have a tremendous opportunity to improve their professional and personal skills for a successful future."
Based at the USGA Grants Office in Colorado Springs, Colo., the Fellowship in Leadership and Service program is a two-year, post-graduate commitment with the possibility of an option for a specialized project during the third year. It is aimed at developing professional skills, such as leadership and organizational efficiency, education in the role of foundations and the not-for-profit sector, and experience in the golf world, specifically, with the governing body of golf in this country. There are currently 14 Fellows employed in the program, which is entering its 12 th year.
"The diversity of the Fellowship experience is what attracts a group like this year's class - quality people with a multitude of interests and experiences," said Steve Czarnecki, USGA Assistant Director of the Grants Initiative and Fellowship Program. "It is this very diversity that makes us better able to serve programs in local communities."
USGA Grants Initiative: A Capsule History
The United States Golf Association works to make the game of golf affordable and accessible. Since 1997, the Grants Initiative has traditionally focused on programming for economically disadvantaged kids and individuals with disabilities. The USGA Executive Committee has extended this grants initiative to 2013, bringing total anticipated USGA support for deserving golf programs to $85 million. Beyond its Grants Initiative, the USGA partners with national organizations to promote affordable and accessible facility development, course access, girls' golf, and initiatives for individuals with disabilities.
For more information on the USGA Grants Initiative, contact the Grants office at (719) 471-4810 or visit the Grants Section of the USGA Web site at www.usga.org .
About The USGA
The USGA is the national governing body of golf in this country and Mexico, a combined territory that includes more than half the world's golfers and golf courses.
The Association's most visible role is played out each season in conducting 13 national championships, including the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open and U.S. Senior Open. Ten additional USGA national championships are exclusively for amateurs, and include the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Women's Amateur.
The USGA also writes the Rules of Golf, conducts equipment testing, provides expert course maintenance consultations, funds research for better turf and a better environment, maintains a Handicap System and administers an ongoing "For the Good of the Game" grants program, which has allocated more than $62 million over 11 years to successful programs that bring the game's values to youths from disadvantaged backgrounds and people with disabilities.
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