I’ve taken a lot of golf lessons in my life, but, the first lesson I ever took was at Burnaby Mountain Golf Course. Growing up and living across the street from the course, much of my time was spent there; playing, practicing, and even working in the pro shop. I was fortunate to receive support from both the Senior Men’s and Women’s clubs which I’m grateful for as golf has opened many doors for me.
While I miss my family, I’ve lived in the United States for the past 19 years, and golf has been a part of each move I’ve made. My first stop was Iowa Lakes Community College where I was a two time National Junior College All-American. I continued my golf and education at the University of Missouri – Kansas City where I was an All-Conference golfer, and received my MBA. It was in Kansas City where I became involved with The First Tee, a youth development organization that teaches kids life skills through the game of golf. Through The First Tee I’ve had the opportunity to give back to the game that has given so much to me. I’ve coordinated opportunities for kids to play Pebble Beach with a Champions TOUR player in the Nature Valley First Tee Open. I’ve seen golf connect former Presidents with kids in The First Tee. And perhaps most importantly, I’ve seen how kids are taking the life skills they’ve learned on the golf course and applying them in their everyday lives to become amazing young people.
As you can see, golf has made all of these things possible for me, and it all started here at Burnaby Mountain.