PGA REACH Gateway Foundation

I recently had the incredible opportunity to attend the PGA Show for the first time as a PGA WORKS fellow. While the show had so much to offer, the people were by far my favorite part. I was surrounded by a community of golf professionals, industry leaders, and 21 other WORKS fellows for the two days. From our show floor stops, to industry stage panels, and then dinner with the executives of the PGA of America, the week was extremely impactful. I was truly inspired after hearing from Derek Sprague, Sandy Cross, Jenny Lewis, Kevin J. Scott, Craig Kessler, and Jeff Price about their journeys and advice for young professionals and I thank them for their time and words. I want to take a minute to recognize Mackenzie Myers! Mackenzie is a former WORKS fellow and absolutely crushed it on the "WORKS Fellows to Full Time Professionals" panel, speaking about her transition and some key takeaways from the fellowship. I feel so lucky to have her as a role model and someone to look up to. A heartfelt thank you also goes out to our fearless leaders, Cameron Dinkins and Iyannei Miranda, MBA, MSBM. The week would not of been possible without you all and thank you for everything you do for PGA WORKS. And to conclude, a few of my favorite takeaways— be confident in yourself, be vulnerable and don't be afraid to try new things, be a people person, and always have a firm handshake. I'm looking forward to applying what I've learned and continuing to grow, both personally and professionally.

Last week, PGA WORKS brought 22 of our amazing PGA WORKS Fellows to the PGA Golf Shows! It was an excellent opportunity for them to network with the biggest brands in golf, connect, engage with former Fellows, tell their stories, and enjoy an exclusive meet-up with the PGA of America C-Suite. As this amazing group moves forward to the final stage of their Fellowship and searches for full-time positions, we hope that this experience has opened up wonderful opportunities for their future. Take a moment to enjoy this personal story about?Camilla Terkildsen's?experience at the show: https://lnkd.in/gWb2bmPr As we wrap up the final months of this class, we're excited to announce that our Fellowship positions for next year are now open! If you know any May 2025 graduates or recent grads who are passionate about the golf and/or the sports industry, have them apply by using the link below: https://lnkd.in/eCYDJ8r7

As some of you know, PGA REACH Gateway Foundation has a new pillar called PGA ABLE (Abilities Beyond Life's Expectations). One of the junior golf programs we have is at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital. Recently we had a PICU patient join us who had previously never swung a club and the child had a huge smile on his face the entire time! After that day's clinic was over, we received this email from a staff member at Cardinal Glennon (and yes, reading it for the first time made my "allergies" flare up): "Thank you all again for a great session today! I learned this afternoon that the patient you saw in the PICU told every nurse and staff member today "I golfed." He was so proud of himself and the patient's dad shared so much gratitude for the positive experience this morning's session provided. Thank you all so much for everything you continue to do for our patients!"