From the May 2024 Issue of Club Life
Catching Up With Two SFSF Recipients
Stepping Forward Into Their New Careers
Since its inception in 2019, the Step Forward Scholarship Fund has awarded 80 scholarships totaling more than $380,000 to employees and their children due to the generosity of club members. We recently checked in with SFSF recipients Colin Liebe and Brooke Murphy since they graduated from the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill and Duke University respectively and embarked on their exciting new careers.
Colin Liebe
Golf: 2021-2023
Scholarship Recipient: 2022
Catching Up With Two SFSF Recipients
Stepping Forward Into Their New Careers
Since its inception in 2019, the Step Forward Scholarship Fund has awarded 80 scholarships totaling more than $380,000 to employees and their children due to the generosity of club members. We recently checked in with SFSF recipients Colin Liebe and Brooke Murphy since they graduated from the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill and Duke University respectively and embarked on their exciting new careers.
Colin Liebe
Golf: 2021-2023
Scholarship Recipient: 2022
“I graduated from UNC - Chapel Hill last May with a degree in computer science. I’m living in Charlotte and am about 8 months into my role as a technical consulting engineer at Cisco. Basically, I work directly with customers to troubleshoot software issues on Cisco devices. It has been a long learning process due to the technical acumen that’s required by my job, but I’m gaining more and more comfort by the day.
The scholarship, and Governors Club in general, played a huge part in my ability to excel in the role I’m currently in. A lot of the skills I gained from working a customer-facing job in the golf department at GC directly translate to my current job!
I was able to develop great relationships with members while working at GC. Dan Kaferle and Bill Wallace, who were both on the scholarship committee, were incredibly helpful to me when it came to taking advantage of the scholarship opportunity and I am so grateful to them for it. The scholarship shows how the members of GC truly do care about the employees there, and speaks a lot about the general attitude surrounding the club.
I’m planning on moving back to the Raleigh area this summer and would love to be able to see a lot of the members and my former coworkers on a more regular basis again.”
The scholarship, and Governors Club in general, played a huge part in my ability to excel in the role I’m currently in. A lot of the skills I gained from working a customer-facing job in the golf department at GC directly translate to my current job!
I was able to develop great relationships with members while working at GC. Dan Kaferle and Bill Wallace, who were both on the scholarship committee, were incredibly helpful to me when it came to taking advantage of the scholarship opportunity and I am so grateful to them for it. The scholarship shows how the members of GC truly do care about the employees there, and speaks a lot about the general attitude surrounding the club.
I’m planning on moving back to the Raleigh area this summer and would love to be able to see a lot of the members and my former coworkers on a more regular basis again.”
Brooke Murphy
Dining Services: 2020-2022
Scholarship Recipient: 2021 and 2022
Dining Services: 2020-2022
Scholarship Recipient: 2021 and 2022
"“I worked in the clubhouse as a server and a host. I especially loved working Wednesday nights because the Koopmanns, the Ingelbincks, the Huckles and the Laughreys had standing dinner reservations and would sit in my section. They almost immediately took a personal interest in my life, always making sure I was doing well in my studies and offering their advice where they could. On my last shift before graduating, they all got me a card and took time out of their night to congratulate me. This is one of many examples I could share of how the SFSF and the members of Governors Club have impacted me. While the scholarship fund alleviated many of my financial worries, it was the people behind the funding who truly made a difference in my life.
Since graduating from Duke’s nursing program in 2021, I have worked at Duke Hospital in the Pediatric Cardiac ICU. I have loved getting to work with such a special patient population and their families. Being a part of Duke’s congenital heart center has given me the opportunity to work with new and innovative surgical techniques. Duke has been the first institution to perform a heart-thymus transplant, a partial heart transplant and a heart transplant following donor circulatory death. While these have been exciting medical advancements, my favorite part about my job is watching people become parents. There is something truly special about watching people grow into their new roles."
"One of the most rewarding aspects of the SFSF program is witnessing first-hand the academic progress of many of our recipients like Colin and Brooke on a personal, nearly daily basis and then seeing them successfully launch their careers,” said SFSF President Nancy Broaddus. “In many ways, we feel like the proud parents Brooke spoke about.”
Since graduating from Duke’s nursing program in 2021, I have worked at Duke Hospital in the Pediatric Cardiac ICU. I have loved getting to work with such a special patient population and their families. Being a part of Duke’s congenital heart center has given me the opportunity to work with new and innovative surgical techniques. Duke has been the first institution to perform a heart-thymus transplant, a partial heart transplant and a heart transplant following donor circulatory death. While these have been exciting medical advancements, my favorite part about my job is watching people become parents. There is something truly special about watching people grow into their new roles."
"One of the most rewarding aspects of the SFSF program is witnessing first-hand the academic progress of many of our recipients like Colin and Brooke on a personal, nearly daily basis and then seeing them successfully launch their careers,” said SFSF President Nancy Broaddus. “In many ways, we feel like the proud parents Brooke spoke about.”
From the July 2024 Issue of Stroll Magazine
First-Timers Help Drive Step Forward Scholarship Program
First-Timers Help Drive Step Forward Scholarship Program
Three years ago, Oliva Sanchez, the daughter of long-time Governors Club golf course employee Rafael Sanchez, was accepted at Appalachian State in Boone, NC. As she prepared for her first year, Oliva had one burning concern, and it wasn’t academic. "I knew I could do the work. I didn’t know if I would be able to pay for it,” said Oliva who is the first in her family to go to college.
Enter the Step Forward Scholarship Fund – an independent, non-profit organization staffed by Governors Club members and financed by the generosity of the GC community. The organization provides financial aid and mentoring to GC employees and employees of children to help them achieve their education and career goals.
Since 2019, the SFSF has awarded 80 scholarships totaling nearly $400,000. Many recipients have received awards in multiple years; recently the SFSF saw one of its four-year recipients, Samantha Rojas, daughter of GC housekeeping services head Luis Rojas, graduate from NC State with a degree in animal science. She too was the first in her family to go to college.
SFSF makes a special effort to help those who are the first in their families to pursue a college degree. Those applicants, in addition to receiving financial support, also can tap into the organization’s mentoring program to help with the often-confusing process of applying for college admission and selecting courses of study. There is a special link with SFSF’s founder Bill Wallace and current President Nancy Broaddus who were the first in their families to attend college.
“I know what it’s like when you are the first one in your family to break through,” Broaddus said. “There is no family experience to draw on, and available services in public schools can be inadequate. We want to do everything we can to help our recipients to achieve their dreams.”
Oliva has received two SFSF scholarships, including a Governors Scholarship. She is again applying for a SFSF award for the coming academic year. Annual scholarships range from $500 to $7,000. The organization will also award one $12,000 Governors Scholarship.
Oliva is majoring in criminal justice at Appalachian State and she found during her studies that she had a love for the law and wanted to pursue a career as a lawyer. She was lucky enough to secure a paid internship this summer with Munson & Munson, a law firm owned by GC members Mike and Sophia Munson.
“It is wonderful that the Munsons made a paying internship available to Oliva,” said Broaddus. “It shows their dedication to Oliva, SFSF and the legal profession.” But, Broaddus added, some internships are either are low-paying or come without any compensation. “We don’t want an applicant to have to choose between taking a job to pay for school or taking an internship that can help them decide if a certain career is for them and give them a leg-up in their post undergraduate search for a job or a post-graduate degree,” Broaddus said.
Enter the SFSF again. Two years ago, the organization started a program that offers a stipend to enable recipients to take a non-paying or low-paying internship. A recipient can receive a “living wage” of up to $4,000 over a two-month period to gain the vital experience an internship can provide.
Andrea Valdez, the daughter of Edy Chos who has worked in GC housekeeping services for nearly 15 years, received a SFSF scholarship for three years and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a degree in kinesiology. She also took additional courses to prepare for graduate school. Andrea has worked part-time at GC, first with her mom in housekeeping and then in dining services.
Andrea, also the first in her family to attend college, has been accepted into the Duke University School of Nursing for the fall semester and has applied again for SFSF support. “As a first generation, tuition cost was always my primary concern, but with the help of the SFSF scholarship it lifted so much stress off my shoulders,” Andrea said when she received her first SFSF scholarship.
Tani Valdez Rivas, the daughter Jose Rivas in GC’s food services, has received three SFSF scholarships including a Governors Scholarship. She graduated from NC State with a degree in marine biology and is pursuing a degree in environmental science from Duke University. Like Oliva and Andrea, she is the first in her family to attend college.
“The SFSF scholarship had enabled me to focus more on exploring opportunities within my field and in science, technology, engineering and math,” Tani said. “There is a special place in our hearts for those who are the first in their families to attend college,” Broaddus said. “They sometimes have to overcome significant challenges. We are so glad we are able to help.”
From the July 2024 Issue of Club Life
Step Forward Scholarship Fund Recipient Haley Hanks
Getting “Real” With Real Estate
Step Forward Scholarship Fund Recipient Haley Hanks
Getting “Real” With Real Estate
The Covid-19 pandemic took lives, damaged lives, interrupted lives—and for a fortunate few, directed lives.
Haley Hanks is a case in point. You may have encountered Haley working behind the reception desk at the Governors Club. Since 2022, she has been juggling tables, making reservations, and greeting all of us with a winning smile that says, “I’m glad you’re here.” Haley received Step Forward Scholarship Fund awards in 2023 and 2024.
Reflecting on the last few years, Haley describes her life in Wilmington, NC as “normal.” She grew up playing tennis, and her job all through high school was working at Landfall, a residential community, where she served as the assistant tennis instructor to children.
Covid hit in 2021 when Haley was in high school. Wilmington exploded, becoming a “Top Ten” city of growth. People streamed out of larger cities in the Northeast to escape the virus, welcoming the open spaces and beaches of Wilmington. Haley noticed this rapid growth, and it fascinated her. As a result, she studied for and received her residential real estate license as a high school senior. She also noticed that the residential market was saturated—even during Wilmington’s “boom” days.
Commercial real estate began to look attractive to Haley.
Now studying at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a rising senior, Haley recalls that her college choice felt very logical. Her mother and father had both graduated from the university, “and I had gone to so many games there when I was in high school,” Haley adds. However, the real “clincher” to the college choice was UNC’s Leonard W. Wood Center for Real Estate Studies. Haley said few universities in the Southeast have an undergrad emphasis in this field. When Haley graduates in May 2025, she will have a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with an area of emphasis in real estate finance.
In the summer of 2023, through resources at the Kenan-Flagler Business School and the Wood Center, Haley secured an internship at Greystar Real Estate Partners, headquartered in Charleston, SC. This company has approximately 950,000 multifamily units under management globally, with three main areas of concentration: Property Management, Investment Management, and Development/Construction. While there, Haley worked on the Southeast Development Finance Team and assisted with research on capital markets and sourced debt and equity for new developments.
This summer at Greystar, Haley will be on a different team—the Development Operations group, validating and assimilating data for the North American Development Investment Committee meeting.
What’s up for Haley as a senior? She hopes to apply for a Winter Break Global Immersion Elective through the Kenan-Flagler Business School. This 1.5 credit hour course is led by professors at Kenan-Flagler who focus on real estate specialties such as consulting and sustainability. About thirty students are admitted to this program each winter.
Although Haley admits she never has much free time, her idea of a wonderful weekend afternoon is going to Sullivan’s Island in Charleston, then hitting Home Team BBQ for their pulled pork nachos. Her other favorite love is pickleball, not surprising due to her earlier tennis instruction.
She also sets personal goals for herself. Last summer, she determined to run a half marathon: “Tricky—since I don’t quite have the runner’s build,” she said. Out at dawn on the Charleston streets, Haley trained daily and last February ran the Wilmington half marathon.
Haley considers her time at the Governors Club and is filled with gratitude. “The financial aspect of the program is huge [tuition, books, and fees]; more than that is the mentorship aspect. I have met with members of Governors Club who have been involved in commercial real estate. They have provided me with inspiration and ideas. Thank you to everyone at SF and the GC Community. I am forever grateful to everyone.”
Nancy Broaddus, president of Step Forward, adds, “Haley is a high achiever in her field which not long ago saw few women tackle the industry.” Dr. John Zaremba, head of the SFSF Scholarship Committee, states, “Haley is an amazing young person who is skilled far beyond her years. All of us on the scholarship committee feel certain she will have a brilliant future. We’d love to tie the SFSF ‘wagon’ to her star.”
Haley’s advice to all of us: “Don’t be afraid to get involved and do something you’ve never done before.” We think she’s definitely doing that.
Haley Hanks is a case in point. You may have encountered Haley working behind the reception desk at the Governors Club. Since 2022, she has been juggling tables, making reservations, and greeting all of us with a winning smile that says, “I’m glad you’re here.” Haley received Step Forward Scholarship Fund awards in 2023 and 2024.
Reflecting on the last few years, Haley describes her life in Wilmington, NC as “normal.” She grew up playing tennis, and her job all through high school was working at Landfall, a residential community, where she served as the assistant tennis instructor to children.
Covid hit in 2021 when Haley was in high school. Wilmington exploded, becoming a “Top Ten” city of growth. People streamed out of larger cities in the Northeast to escape the virus, welcoming the open spaces and beaches of Wilmington. Haley noticed this rapid growth, and it fascinated her. As a result, she studied for and received her residential real estate license as a high school senior. She also noticed that the residential market was saturated—even during Wilmington’s “boom” days.
Commercial real estate began to look attractive to Haley.
Now studying at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a rising senior, Haley recalls that her college choice felt very logical. Her mother and father had both graduated from the university, “and I had gone to so many games there when I was in high school,” Haley adds. However, the real “clincher” to the college choice was UNC’s Leonard W. Wood Center for Real Estate Studies. Haley said few universities in the Southeast have an undergrad emphasis in this field. When Haley graduates in May 2025, she will have a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with an area of emphasis in real estate finance.
In the summer of 2023, through resources at the Kenan-Flagler Business School and the Wood Center, Haley secured an internship at Greystar Real Estate Partners, headquartered in Charleston, SC. This company has approximately 950,000 multifamily units under management globally, with three main areas of concentration: Property Management, Investment Management, and Development/Construction. While there, Haley worked on the Southeast Development Finance Team and assisted with research on capital markets and sourced debt and equity for new developments.
This summer at Greystar, Haley will be on a different team—the Development Operations group, validating and assimilating data for the North American Development Investment Committee meeting.
What’s up for Haley as a senior? She hopes to apply for a Winter Break Global Immersion Elective through the Kenan-Flagler Business School. This 1.5 credit hour course is led by professors at Kenan-Flagler who focus on real estate specialties such as consulting and sustainability. About thirty students are admitted to this program each winter.
Although Haley admits she never has much free time, her idea of a wonderful weekend afternoon is going to Sullivan’s Island in Charleston, then hitting Home Team BBQ for their pulled pork nachos. Her other favorite love is pickleball, not surprising due to her earlier tennis instruction.
She also sets personal goals for herself. Last summer, she determined to run a half marathon: “Tricky—since I don’t quite have the runner’s build,” she said. Out at dawn on the Charleston streets, Haley trained daily and last February ran the Wilmington half marathon.
Haley considers her time at the Governors Club and is filled with gratitude. “The financial aspect of the program is huge [tuition, books, and fees]; more than that is the mentorship aspect. I have met with members of Governors Club who have been involved in commercial real estate. They have provided me with inspiration and ideas. Thank you to everyone at SF and the GC Community. I am forever grateful to everyone.”
Nancy Broaddus, president of Step Forward, adds, “Haley is a high achiever in her field which not long ago saw few women tackle the industry.” Dr. John Zaremba, head of the SFSF Scholarship Committee, states, “Haley is an amazing young person who is skilled far beyond her years. All of us on the scholarship committee feel certain she will have a brilliant future. We’d love to tie the SFSF ‘wagon’ to her star.”
Haley’s advice to all of us: “Don’t be afraid to get involved and do something you’ve never done before.” We think she’s definitely doing that.
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Step Forward Scholarship Fund, Inc.
P.O. Box 4631
Chapel Hill, NC 27515-4631
[email protected]
Step Forward Scholarship Fund, Inc. is a 501c3 organization. EIN #83-3175469