By Kenneth Mullinax/ASU
Alabama State University recently celebrated the anniversary of the institutions "Swing into Success" golf program, which promotes diversity in golfing education, undergraduate gamesmanship and in advancing full-time careers for graduates of ASU, other Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs) and the public within the golf industry.
ASU President, Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr., spoke of the importance of more HBCU involvement in the game of golf, in electronic games, in post-graduate playing and within the business careers of the golf idustry.
"Today we are swinging into success as we celebrate our second anniversary of having a program that allows us to explore new opportunities for our students in all areas relating to golf. I thank our industry partners and our staff, as we explore and open-up new career paths for our students, alumni and the community," said President Ross. "Within the last year, we have made tremendous strides through our golf program, our electronic golf gamesmanship, promoting inclusion in the game itself and through careers within the golf industry for our graduates and for the public at large."
Ross was joined by ASU's Athletic Director, Dr. Jason Cable; the founder of the national non-profit "Golf - My Future - My Game," Craig Kirby; ASU Golf Coach Quincy Heard; Alabama State's SGA President, Landon Hale; the founder of Montgomery's "Driving with Force" community golf group, Karen Laneaux; and others.
ASU's Cable explained the importance of getting more HBCU students and African American residents involved in all aspects of the sport and the careers that support it.
"Alabama State's 'Swing into Success' program is a great opportunity to promote diversity in golf in Alabama and the nation by spreading the game throughout our community in a larger manner," Cable said. "We have seen tremendous strides made within the last year for this program that impacts our students and our community, and its continuation is a good thing for all of us."
ASU Golf Coach Quincy Heard shared that the initiative supports the University's golf program, which spans the globe.
"As we continue to grow our golf program, we have young people from all over the planet that choose The Alabama State University as the place they want to pursue their competitive collegiate careers and the Swing into Success program helps contribute to our success and we are so thrilled for that happening," Heard stated.
The initiative was launched in the fall of 2023 with a focus on such strategic initiatives as providing jobs in the golf industry, paid internships, economic opportunities, research partnerships, integrated classroom education, experiential learning curricula, agronomy projects and more.
The effort is part of a consortium that was originated by the White House Initiative on HBCUs. The program’s immediate goal is to form meaningful HBCU/golf relationships, to gather resources to implement recommendations, and to create internships and career opportunities for diverse candidates within the golfing industry.
ASU's director of Career Services, Dr. Sabrina Crowder Simmons, has been instrumental in supporting the program since its beginning and purports Swing into Success as an important asset in building bridges for HBCU students, alumni and community residents.
"We look forward to our continuation of advancing inclusion and diversity in golf and in the business of golf for our students, and upon graduation, in doing so for our alumni and for our community in general," Simmons said.
To learn more about fostering greater diversity in the game and business of golf go to: www.GolfMyFutureMyGame.org.