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Virginia Internship Helps Frick Explore Her Passion for the Golf Industry

Ferris State University students gain valuable work experience through internships. Internships also can confirm or redirect career decision-making, provide marketability, develop people skills and enhance classroom learning. Many academic programs require one, but the experience is encouraged regardless to provide students with a better understanding of what will be expected of them in the workplace.

Laura FrickMany students are participating in myriad internships this summer. Meet: Laura Frick

She is: A junior from Hudsonville, Mich., majoring in Professional Golf Management

Internship: Middle Atlantic Section of the Professional Golfers’ Association in Stafford, Va. MAPGA provides programs and assistance to support its members who teach golf, promote goodwill and share the game’s values.

Laura’s six-month internship is paid, including housing and travel expenses.

What she’s learning: As a Junior Golf intern, Laura hosts MAPGA Junior Tour tournaments for boys and girls 10 to 18 years old at various courses in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

“I am extremely passionate about the golf industry and, specifically, about running tournaments,” Laura said. “I am learning how to run a successful tournament and all of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into it.”

Some of her duties include course-rules officiating, tournament administration, setup and preparation, media and public relations, and equipment inventory and maintenance.

Something cool: Laura worked at the Web.com Tour’s Mid-Atlantic Championship at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Potomac, Md. from May 30 to June 2. She ran different aspects of the tournament and met many professional players.

“I got to start the players off of the first tee and was the official scorer when they finished on the 18th green,” she said. “I spent about 70 hours over the course of four days working the event and enjoyed every second of it.”

Core values: Her internship experience mirrors Ferris’ core value of Collaboration, she said.

“We all have different tasks, but we all have the same common goal: for a smooth event to occur,” Laura said.

On campus: She’s a member and former secretary of Ferris’ chapter of the Professional Golf Management Student Association, which has helped develop her communication and networking skills.

“Running a successful tournament requires communication with your coworkers and picking up each other’s slack when need be,” she said. “I have done a lot of team-building activities at Ferris that have helped me prepare for this.”

Her plan: After graduating in December 2015, Laura hopes to work in tournament operations for the PGA. She also has a passion for helping junior golfers and those with specials needs.

“In the future, I hope to be a part of an organization such as Special Olympics or The First Tee,” Laura said.