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SFSF Recipient Sarah Towne: ‘A 180’ Leads Her to the Links
December 1, 2022
December 1, 2022
Governors Club’s new assistant golf professional did not always view a career in golf as an end game.
Sarah Towne, who earned a school-record 16 varsity letters at East Chapel Hill High, said she was more attuned to team sports: field hockey, basketball, lacrosse and softball. “I probably started swinging (a golf club) around age eight, but didn’t truly have the attention span for the game until I was a teenager,” said the first-year Step Forward Scholarship Fund (SFSF) recipient. “I’ve definitely grown into golf. There was a time when I found it too stressful. I gravitated more toward team sports in high school because I felt more supported, and liked that you could correct mistakes as soon as the next play.”
Sarah started plotting a golf career path after graduating from Cornell University with a degree in environmental science and working two years in her degree field. She took jobs on the Massachusetts coast, employed first by the National Park Service (NPS) as an aquatic ecology assistant and then as a contractor for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on commercial fishing vessels. The COVID pandemic caused her NPS projects to shut down, and the NOAA position ended up being an extreme test of endurance. “For NOAA, I was based in Gloucester, Mass., but was deployed on trips throughout New England. I love the ocean and being on the water, but the lifestyle was grueling. All of my work was completed solo, and I’d be offshore sometimes for weeks on end. I totally burned out and it wasn’t fun any longer, so I bailed,” Sarah said.
Then golf came back into her life. “In my new chunks of free time, I played golf and waited tables in between,” she said. “Reconnecting with golf was therapeutic for me. I was excited about golf in a way that I’d never been before, and it dawned on me that I might be able to build a career in golf. So I pulled a 180.”
Sarah wanted to enroll immediately in the PGA Level One program, but found that Governors Club did not have a spot in the Golf Shop when she returned to the area in 2021 and looked for a job. She decided to bide her time and take a position in Food and Beverage. For Sarah, the return to GC was familiar; when she was younger, her family owned a house in the community for a few years. “I played a little bit of golf, but I have to admit, I spent more time at the pool,” she said. “I remember coming into the Golf Shop and seeing Cassandra Bennett behind the counter and thinking it was really cool that a girl could work at a golf course, too.” Cassandra was an assistant pro at GC for nine years, leaving in 2014.
At Governors Club, Sarah soon was doing numerous jobs. It wasn’t unusual to see her helping on-course with the kids’ summer golf programs in the morning, running golf carts and maintaining the driving range in the afternoon, and waiting tables in the evening. “I am thankful that both staff and members noticed my hard work and helped me transition to the golf staff,” Sarah said. “The restaurant experience gave me a great foundation in learning club operations and connecting with a myriad of members. I’m a people person, and every day I hear interesting stories of peoples’ weekends, travels, dogs, golf woes, and everything in between. The members keep me on my toes. I think I laugh every day at work.”
She also came under the wing of Sarah Bejgrowicz-Lewallen, the interim director of golf who worked with her for months to improve her game for the PGA playing test, which she passed in July. Sarah B. even caddied for her twice. “Sarah has made such a difference in my life. She is an incredible instructor and leader that embodies exactly the kind of PGA professional I want to become,” she said.
In October, Sarah took a step toward her career goal when she was named an assistant golf professional at Governors Club. She said her goal is to bring the same enjoyment she has for golf to others. “I want people to have the opportunity to love this game as much as I do,” Sarah said. “There’s a lot of barriers in this sport. I want to be a part of breaking those down. All I want in the future is to do something that makes me and other people happy.”
Earlier this year, Sarah received a SFSF scholarship to help defray the costs of enrolling in the PGA Level One program, which not only covers on-course and teaching areas, but also business topics. “I am extremely grateful to have received an SFSF scholarship,” Sarah said. “I am blown away by the generosity that the members have shown myself and others. To receive financial support has taken a lot of stress off and allowed me to be the best student and employee I can be.”
Sarah Towne, who earned a school-record 16 varsity letters at East Chapel Hill High, said she was more attuned to team sports: field hockey, basketball, lacrosse and softball. “I probably started swinging (a golf club) around age eight, but didn’t truly have the attention span for the game until I was a teenager,” said the first-year Step Forward Scholarship Fund (SFSF) recipient. “I’ve definitely grown into golf. There was a time when I found it too stressful. I gravitated more toward team sports in high school because I felt more supported, and liked that you could correct mistakes as soon as the next play.”
Sarah started plotting a golf career path after graduating from Cornell University with a degree in environmental science and working two years in her degree field. She took jobs on the Massachusetts coast, employed first by the National Park Service (NPS) as an aquatic ecology assistant and then as a contractor for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on commercial fishing vessels. The COVID pandemic caused her NPS projects to shut down, and the NOAA position ended up being an extreme test of endurance. “For NOAA, I was based in Gloucester, Mass., but was deployed on trips throughout New England. I love the ocean and being on the water, but the lifestyle was grueling. All of my work was completed solo, and I’d be offshore sometimes for weeks on end. I totally burned out and it wasn’t fun any longer, so I bailed,” Sarah said.
Then golf came back into her life. “In my new chunks of free time, I played golf and waited tables in between,” she said. “Reconnecting with golf was therapeutic for me. I was excited about golf in a way that I’d never been before, and it dawned on me that I might be able to build a career in golf. So I pulled a 180.”
Sarah wanted to enroll immediately in the PGA Level One program, but found that Governors Club did not have a spot in the Golf Shop when she returned to the area in 2021 and looked for a job. She decided to bide her time and take a position in Food and Beverage. For Sarah, the return to GC was familiar; when she was younger, her family owned a house in the community for a few years. “I played a little bit of golf, but I have to admit, I spent more time at the pool,” she said. “I remember coming into the Golf Shop and seeing Cassandra Bennett behind the counter and thinking it was really cool that a girl could work at a golf course, too.” Cassandra was an assistant pro at GC for nine years, leaving in 2014.
At Governors Club, Sarah soon was doing numerous jobs. It wasn’t unusual to see her helping on-course with the kids’ summer golf programs in the morning, running golf carts and maintaining the driving range in the afternoon, and waiting tables in the evening. “I am thankful that both staff and members noticed my hard work and helped me transition to the golf staff,” Sarah said. “The restaurant experience gave me a great foundation in learning club operations and connecting with a myriad of members. I’m a people person, and every day I hear interesting stories of peoples’ weekends, travels, dogs, golf woes, and everything in between. The members keep me on my toes. I think I laugh every day at work.”
She also came under the wing of Sarah Bejgrowicz-Lewallen, the interim director of golf who worked with her for months to improve her game for the PGA playing test, which she passed in July. Sarah B. even caddied for her twice. “Sarah has made such a difference in my life. She is an incredible instructor and leader that embodies exactly the kind of PGA professional I want to become,” she said.
In October, Sarah took a step toward her career goal when she was named an assistant golf professional at Governors Club. She said her goal is to bring the same enjoyment she has for golf to others. “I want people to have the opportunity to love this game as much as I do,” Sarah said. “There’s a lot of barriers in this sport. I want to be a part of breaking those down. All I want in the future is to do something that makes me and other people happy.”
Earlier this year, Sarah received a SFSF scholarship to help defray the costs of enrolling in the PGA Level One program, which not only covers on-course and teaching areas, but also business topics. “I am extremely grateful to have received an SFSF scholarship,” Sarah said. “I am blown away by the generosity that the members have shown myself and others. To receive financial support has taken a lot of stress off and allowed me to be the best student and employee I can be.”
Step Forward Scholarship Fund Awards 18 Scholarships Totaling More Than $119,000
Makes Two $15,000 Governors Scholarships
October 7, 2022
Makes Two $15,000 Governors Scholarships
October 7, 2022
The Step Forward Scholarship Fund (SFSF) has awarded 18 scholarships totaling $119,000 for the 2022 academic year to employees of Governors Club and children of employees. Six of the recipients are the first in their families to attend college. The awards included two $15,000 Governors Scholarships. The organization made the announcement Friday, Sept. 9, 2022 at a special dinner at Governors Club, attended by more than 130 Club members. The evening included a performance by the UNC “Clef Hangers,” an a cappella group, and was sponsored by the Bold Companies, Gretchen Castorina of Compass Realty, the Bland Landscaping Co. and Sean Murray Grading Inc. “As a result of the overwhelming generosity of the GC community, we were able this year to make more awards than ever before,” said SFSF President William Wallace. “We also were able to increase the average award to $6,200 –the highest level ever and award two $15,000 Governors Scholarships instead of one $10,000 scholarship.”
Since its inception in 2019, the SFSF has made 55 scholarship awards totaling $263,000. The total includes 28 to employees and 27 to children of employees.
This year’s 18 recipients were evenly split between employees and children of employees and included 12 new applicants and six returning applicants. The scholars are attending the UNC Chapel Hill, Charlotte and Asheville campuses, NC State, Duke University, Appalachian State, Wake Technical College, and Durham Technical College. One scholar is seeking her PGA Level 1 certificate while another is working towards obtaining a real estate license to enable her to better serve the Hispanic community.
The $15,000 Governors Scholarships went to Tani Valdez Rivas who is a senior at NC State majoring in Marine Science and Samantha Rojas who also is a senior at NC State and who is majoring in Animal Science. Tani is the daughter of Jose Rivas who works in food services and who has been at GC for nine years. Samantha is the daughter of Luis Rojas who is the head of GC’s housekeeping services and who has been with GC for 23 years.
The Governors Scholarship is awarded on the basis of intended major field of study or career path; prior academic success; examples of leadership/community service; financial need; and, personal character.
Dr. John Zaremba, who heads the SFSF Scholarship Committee, said it was fortunate that the organization had the funds this year to award two Governors Scholarships at a significantly higher level. “Both Tani and Samantha were outstanding candidates,” he said. “It would have been very hard to choose between them if we only had one scholarship. We are so pleased that we can provide this level of support to both of them for their senior years,” Zaremba said.
A complete list of 2022 SFSF scholars can be viewed at the Step Forward Scholarship Recipients page.
Since its inception in 2019, the SFSF has made 55 scholarship awards totaling $263,000. The total includes 28 to employees and 27 to children of employees.
This year’s 18 recipients were evenly split between employees and children of employees and included 12 new applicants and six returning applicants. The scholars are attending the UNC Chapel Hill, Charlotte and Asheville campuses, NC State, Duke University, Appalachian State, Wake Technical College, and Durham Technical College. One scholar is seeking her PGA Level 1 certificate while another is working towards obtaining a real estate license to enable her to better serve the Hispanic community.
The $15,000 Governors Scholarships went to Tani Valdez Rivas who is a senior at NC State majoring in Marine Science and Samantha Rojas who also is a senior at NC State and who is majoring in Animal Science. Tani is the daughter of Jose Rivas who works in food services and who has been at GC for nine years. Samantha is the daughter of Luis Rojas who is the head of GC’s housekeeping services and who has been with GC for 23 years.
The Governors Scholarship is awarded on the basis of intended major field of study or career path; prior academic success; examples of leadership/community service; financial need; and, personal character.
Dr. John Zaremba, who heads the SFSF Scholarship Committee, said it was fortunate that the organization had the funds this year to award two Governors Scholarships at a significantly higher level. “Both Tani and Samantha were outstanding candidates,” he said. “It would have been very hard to choose between them if we only had one scholarship. We are so pleased that we can provide this level of support to both of them for their senior years,” Zaremba said.
A complete list of 2022 SFSF scholars can be viewed at the Step Forward Scholarship Recipients page.
Catching Up with SFSF Recipient Erin McCallum: A Trip to Africa Changed the Course of Her Life
August 4, 2022
August 4, 2022
When she first entered Hope College, a small liberal arts school in Holland, Mich., Erin McCallum majored in psychology with a goal of a career in occupational therapy (OT). A server in Governors Club (GC) dining services since 2021, Erin thought working in occupational therapy was her “calling.” “I had some impactful experiences spending time with kids with various disabilities growing up. I was surprised when I learned that some people feel uncomfortable when interacting with disabled people since I always felt at ease,” said the recipient of a 2022 SFSF scholarship awarded in the Spring. “It was natural and life-giving for me. I considered it my calling and thought that being in OT was the only way I could do this as a career.”
When she got deeper into the OT world, however, she found that it was more about physical health while she was more interested in the emotional and behavioral aspects of living with a disability. Erin recalibrated her focus, stopped taking OT pre-requisites and looked at going for a master’s degree in social work after graduation. Since she was no longer on the OT track, she took the opportunity to spend her senior year studying abroad and “hopped on a plane” to Tanzania. “I knew this would be a study experience like few others and that it was,” said Erin who considers herself an adventure seeker. “That was the best and most life-changing four months of my life.”
In Tanzania, Erin took a public health class for the first time and volunteered with a Non-Government Organization (NGO) doing HIV needs assessments in the village she was living. She also experienced some illnesses that landed her in the hospital, and she was able to see the country’s healthcare system firsthand. Speaking of the experience Erin said, “I became very passionate about how public health efforts when done correctly and ethically, are able to make lasting, transformative change in people’s lives that stretch far beyond physical health.” That desire led her first to the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Public Health and eventually to Governors Club. At Gillings she focused on global health and specifically on mental health and maternal, child and reproductive health. Erin graduated in May with a master’s degree in public health. “I was influenced by the relationship I had with my host mom and host siblings in Tanzania,” Erin explained. “She was the strongest woman and hardest worker I’ve ever met. I hope to work for an organization or participate in research that advances women’s and children’s health and empowerment, specifically in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
Erin was in born in the small town of Bad Axe, Mich., in the center of the “thumb” of the state, which juts out into Lake Huron. Her mom Stephanie was a high school English teacher who after retirement became a writing coach. Her step-dad Mike is a police officer in town and used to manage the force’s K9 unit. “Seeing my parents put their best foot forward each day in their careers and being able to persevere in them because they were passionate about them encouraged me to find a field of work that I both care deeply about and that makes a difference,” she said.
Erin continues to work at GC this summer as she plots her next career move. She is looking for a position in public health and later to possibly to obtain a PhD in clinical psychology. In the end, she hopes to use her education and life experiences to focus on both systemic and clinical areas of health. “I have been at Governors Club for a year and it’s been a really good experience,” Erin said. “I have so appreciated how flexible managers have been to fit work in with my school schedule and I have really enjoyed getting to know the members. “The fact that GC has scholarships for students and life-long learners really makes this place standout,” she continued. “I am honored to have received one to help me pay for my education. It is a weight off my shoulders as I get started in my career and I am so grateful for the generosity of the donors and all who work to make this possible.
When she got deeper into the OT world, however, she found that it was more about physical health while she was more interested in the emotional and behavioral aspects of living with a disability. Erin recalibrated her focus, stopped taking OT pre-requisites and looked at going for a master’s degree in social work after graduation. Since she was no longer on the OT track, she took the opportunity to spend her senior year studying abroad and “hopped on a plane” to Tanzania. “I knew this would be a study experience like few others and that it was,” said Erin who considers herself an adventure seeker. “That was the best and most life-changing four months of my life.”
In Tanzania, Erin took a public health class for the first time and volunteered with a Non-Government Organization (NGO) doing HIV needs assessments in the village she was living. She also experienced some illnesses that landed her in the hospital, and she was able to see the country’s healthcare system firsthand. Speaking of the experience Erin said, “I became very passionate about how public health efforts when done correctly and ethically, are able to make lasting, transformative change in people’s lives that stretch far beyond physical health.” That desire led her first to the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Public Health and eventually to Governors Club. At Gillings she focused on global health and specifically on mental health and maternal, child and reproductive health. Erin graduated in May with a master’s degree in public health. “I was influenced by the relationship I had with my host mom and host siblings in Tanzania,” Erin explained. “She was the strongest woman and hardest worker I’ve ever met. I hope to work for an organization or participate in research that advances women’s and children’s health and empowerment, specifically in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
Erin was in born in the small town of Bad Axe, Mich., in the center of the “thumb” of the state, which juts out into Lake Huron. Her mom Stephanie was a high school English teacher who after retirement became a writing coach. Her step-dad Mike is a police officer in town and used to manage the force’s K9 unit. “Seeing my parents put their best foot forward each day in their careers and being able to persevere in them because they were passionate about them encouraged me to find a field of work that I both care deeply about and that makes a difference,” she said.
Erin continues to work at GC this summer as she plots her next career move. She is looking for a position in public health and later to possibly to obtain a PhD in clinical psychology. In the end, she hopes to use her education and life experiences to focus on both systemic and clinical areas of health. “I have been at Governors Club for a year and it’s been a really good experience,” Erin said. “I have so appreciated how flexible managers have been to fit work in with my school schedule and I have really enjoyed getting to know the members. “The fact that GC has scholarships for students and life-long learners really makes this place standout,” she continued. “I am honored to have received one to help me pay for my education. It is a weight off my shoulders as I get started in my career and I am so grateful for the generosity of the donors and all who work to make this possible.
SFSF Receives Most Applications Ever
Requests Total More Than $102,000
June 4, 2022
Requests Total More Than $102,000
June 4, 2022
The Step Forward Scholarship Fund (SFSF), an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to providing the financial means and mentoring to help Governors Club employees and their children achieve their academic and career goals, has received 17 applications for the 2022-2023 academic year, the most since forming three years ago. The scholarship requests total more than $102,000, also the highest ever received. Earlier this year, because of the generosity of the Governors Club community, the organization increased its maximum yearly grant to $6000. The minimum grant remains at $500. The group also plans to award one $10,000 “Governors Scholarship.”
The applicants include six who have received grants in previous years and 11 applications from those new to the program. The total also includes requests from eight employees and nine from children of employees. “We are delighted we have received the highest number of applications since the program began,” said SFSF President Bill Wallace. “We launched a comprehensive recruitment program earlier this year, holding in-person meetings with nearly every Governors Club department. More than 60 employees attended these meetings. We heard firsthand the challenges of financing higher education and how vital this program is to our GC family.”
The SFSF Scholarship Committee, headed by John Zaremba, received applications from employees in Administration, Maintenance, Dining Services, Food Services, and the Golf Shop. “We again are impressed by the quality of our applicants,” Zaremba said. “We have applicants who are attending UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State, Appalachian State, Duke, UNC-Asheville, and Durham Technical College. The areas of study include global health, marine science, engineering, animal science, nursing, and computer science. Our hope is to help our applicants attend the institutions of their choice without having to load on thousands of dollars of education-related debt.”
The deadline for submissions was May 1, 2022, and the SFSF scholarship committee for the past month has been reviewing applications and conducting in-person interviews. The applicants will be informed of the decision on their applications as soon as possible to enable them to have a full picture of their financial resources before starting in the Fall.
The SFSF will announce the scholarship recipients at a special event Friday, September 9, 2022, at Governors Club. Please mark your calendars.
The applicants include six who have received grants in previous years and 11 applications from those new to the program. The total also includes requests from eight employees and nine from children of employees. “We are delighted we have received the highest number of applications since the program began,” said SFSF President Bill Wallace. “We launched a comprehensive recruitment program earlier this year, holding in-person meetings with nearly every Governors Club department. More than 60 employees attended these meetings. We heard firsthand the challenges of financing higher education and how vital this program is to our GC family.”
The SFSF Scholarship Committee, headed by John Zaremba, received applications from employees in Administration, Maintenance, Dining Services, Food Services, and the Golf Shop. “We again are impressed by the quality of our applicants,” Zaremba said. “We have applicants who are attending UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State, Appalachian State, Duke, UNC-Asheville, and Durham Technical College. The areas of study include global health, marine science, engineering, animal science, nursing, and computer science. Our hope is to help our applicants attend the institutions of their choice without having to load on thousands of dollars of education-related debt.”
The deadline for submissions was May 1, 2022, and the SFSF scholarship committee for the past month has been reviewing applications and conducting in-person interviews. The applicants will be informed of the decision on their applications as soon as possible to enable them to have a full picture of their financial resources before starting in the Fall.
The SFSF will announce the scholarship recipients at a special event Friday, September 9, 2022, at Governors Club. Please mark your calendars.
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Step Forward Scholarship Fund
P.O. Box 4631
Chapel Hill, NC 27515-4631
4gcstepforward@gmail.com
Step Forward Scholarship Fund is a 501c3 organization. EIN #83-3175469