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A Letter from the Director...
It seems like the 2018-2019 academic year is the year of change. And when one thinks of change, feelings of uncertainty and concern tend to be present. However, the changes we experienced this past year really set the stage for some amazing things to occur in future years.
In collaboration with the PGA of America, we engaged a new PGA PGM curriculum with our freshmen class. This new, robust program centers on offering students a lifelong learning journey
that will carry them long beyond their time at Mississippi State University. Students will still complete the PGA curriculum on campus, just as they always have, but now they will have opportunities to focus on areas of specific interest, to include: golf operations, teaching and coaching, and general management. We are excited about the new curriculum and working with the students as they advance through their career interests.
We also experienced a lot of change in the staff associated with golf at Mississippi State. As we announced last year, Adam Scott, PGA, returned as the Head Professional at the University Golf Course. Earlier this year, we hired Chelso Barrett as our Assistant Professional. Chelso joined the team after a career playing professionally. We also hired Jimmy McPherson as the Assistant Superintendent at the University Golf Course. Jimmy previously served at Old Waverly Golf Club on their grounds staff. The PGA Golf Management program also experienced staffing changes throughout the year. Angie Chrestman assumed the Director position for the University Career Center, and her position was filled by Martha Jones. Martha has worked with Career Center for over 10 years, primarily working with outside employers seeking interns and cooperative education students. Martha is quite familiar with the program as she has participated in a few of our player development programs. We also welcome Erika Scott as our Program Assistant. Erika replaces Luke Millhouse who returned home to be closer to family. Erika’s prior experiences include 2 years on the LPGA Symetra Tour, with the First Tee of Colorado Springs, Assistant Golf Professional, and Golf Instructor. We are grateful for those who served our students so diligently over the years, and hate to see them leave, but are excited for their future opportunities and those we have with our new team members. I am really excited about our future!
As we continue the theme of change, the next time you play the University Golf Course, you will notice a number of trees are no longer in place. In just the past few weeks, the storms that passed through Mississippi left their toll on the golf course as a tornado destroyed some 200 trees. Cleanup continues at the course, but most importantly, no injuries occurred.
Moving on from the theme of change, I am most excited to announce the establishment of the Carrie and Chad Parker Fund for Excellence and the Carrie and Chad Parker Endowment for Excellence. Their generous contribution will enable students to continue to develop leadership skills necessary to positively impact the golf industry in the future. Students will have additional opportunities for networking and exposure to some of the industries greatest leaders. We cannot thank Carrie and Chad enough for their continued support of the PGA Golf Management program.
We are also proud of our students and alumni and their successes over the past year! Students continue to earn top jobs for both internship and graduate placement, and a number of alumni have accepted new jobs. We also have 11 alumni who were recognized as PGA Section Award winners for their outstanding contributions in a variety of ways. Rod Perry and Bill Hassell both competed in the PGA Professional Championship at Belfair in Bluffton, SC. Rod’s T6 finish qualifies him for his 6th PGA Championship at Bethpage Black in New York. Junior, Cameron Chhim, recently found himself in the middle of a chase for a championship as he finished 4th in the 33rd PGA Works Collegiate Championship played at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, FL.