GETTING TO KNOW VANESSA NGO
We recently sat down with Vanessa Ngo, long-time SCGA Junior participant, Foundation scholar and Division I golfer at UC Boulder.
Q: Hey Vanessa, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Vanessa Ngo (VN): I am an SCGA Junior Golf Foundation scholar entering my sophomore year at the University of Colorado at Boulder. I started golf at eight and soon after, SCGA Junior programming at nine. Neither of my parents played golf, so having the SCGA Junior golf community allowed me to learn and enjoy the game.
Q: Why is SCGA Junior special to you?
VN: SCGA Junior has been an integral part of my golfing journey. One of the best parts, by far, was joining such a fantastic community. Golf is an individual sport, so being able to meet people and build connections with people who share the same interests makes SCGA Junior unique. I still have many friends I met when I first started, and I continue to make new friendships.
Q: What is your favorite SCGA Junior/Foundation memory?
VN: One of my favorite memories with SCGA Junior was when we were having a ‘beat the coaches’ competition at Don Knabe Golf Course. Seeing everyone gathered around the tee box and watching everyone play the 6th hole. Coaches and students alike had a lot of fun; it was a nice way to end a practice. Some of my earliest and most fond golf memories are from SCGA Junior Gold and Silver Tour tournaments.
Q: What is the most valuable life lesson golf has taught you?
VN: Perseverance and hard work are the backbone of my golf mentality. Golf is such a challenging game, and it’s easy sometimes to feel like you’ll never get better. But learning from my mistakes and defeats made me a better player. I always say, “You either win or you learn.” And over my years of competing, I did a lot of learning. But with perseverance and hard work, I also did a lot of winning. Without golf, I would have never known what I was capable of.
Q: What else should we know about your progression with the SCGA?
VN: I just want to thank the Donors and volunteers, for helping to give me, and many others like me, the opportunity to succeed in golf and be part of something more. This community is truly a blessing to be a part of, and I couldn’t have made my dream of playing Division I golf come true without all those in the program who supported me.
SCGA Junior is a program that goes well beyond golf. The contributions that donors make change lives. I know because it changed mine. Many children grow up battling feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt, and sports are a great way to combat this. However, most families, including mine, would only have the financial means to have their children participate in golf in the short term. Because of the Junior Golf Foundation and its donors, golf wasn’t just a fleeting hobby; it gave me access, a sense of belonging and made me feel special. This is something all children need. From a kid fumbling around learning golf from YouTube to living my dream of being a college golfer, I know that would not have been possible without SCGA Junior and its donors.
Thank you so much.