Editorial Note: The article below is written by Leiahnni Smith, a junior at Bethune Cookman University. Leiahnni majors in Business Administration. She is also a member of the golf team. Below is a recap from her paid summer internship with the Miami Valley Golf Association, headquartered in Dayton OH. The internship originated from the relationship between Craig Kirby, Founder of ‘Golf My Future. My Game’ and Steve Jurick, Executive Director for Miami Valley golf.
Craig and I met Leiahnni during the Spring 2024 career fair at Bethune Cookman, as part of our Make Golf Your Career HBCU assignment. We are proud to submit this as a success story for the initiative. Btw, Steve Jurick has already committed a paid Boatwright Internship the summer of 2025 to Leiahnni. —Michael W. Cooper, Ph.D.
Of all summers, this summer has definitely been my busiest, but it has also been the most enjoyable. If you were to ask me in April how I thought this summer was going to go, my answer would definitely not have been accurate. I initially was not sure what to expect out of this summer. I knew that I would be helping with camps and working but I was not sure of the new impact golf would have on me as well as me having an impact in it. I would first like to sincerely thank Dr. Cooper, Mr. Kirby, and Dr. Talley for all their help so far this year. It truly was a blessing to be able to connect with them, and now have the opportunity to continue to work with them.
Director, Center for Career Success
This summer I was involved with two organizations. The first one was Miami Valley Golf Association. I had the opportunity to assist with their weekly children’s golf camp. In this camp, my role was to teach the participants the basic golf grip, swing, and putting. Most of the kids that I worked with had already either been playing golf or had general knowledge of the game, so it was easier because I did not have to start all the way with the fundamentals. I also had a chance to shadow their interns and learn what the role of golf operations within their organization is like. I have accepted the invitation to intern for them next summer as well as assist with their kid’s golf camp. I am extremely grateful and excited for this opportunity, and I cannot wait to bring my ideas and skills to the team.
The second organization I was involved with this summer was Mulligans Golf Association. I have been involved with this organization for over ten years. I started off as a participant in the program when I was a kid. Every summer I got to learn more about the game, as well as grow my skill level. The summer of me going into my sophomore year of college, I took on the role of being the head golf coach. Over the past few summers, there would be a solid group to start out and then it would dwindle to a few. That was not the case this summer. There were 30 kids each session consistently. At first it was overwhelming, but over time I began to appreciate everyone coming because it showed that the kids wanted to learn the game and I was able to develop techniques to be able to maintain the kids’ attention and teach them in a way that they would understand. I am extremely excited to see what next year will bring.
Being involved in these numerous activities has allowed me to learn a lot about myself. It warms my heart to be able to be a positive role model for the upcoming generations. Golf has taken me places I would not have ever been able to imagine myself going. However, I know that this is only the beginning and there is more to come. I look forward to continuing to make a difference in my community as well as bettering my own golf game and skills to help me even more in the future.
