Jake Massar, Vanderbilt University ‘08, Brae Burn Country Club

DREAM FOURSOME:

I was asked this during my fund interview. Pretty sure I said Tiger, Bill Clinton and my grandfather who passed before I had the chance to play with him. The only change I’d make today would be removing Clinton and adding Obama to bring some younger energy.

HOW DID I LEARN ABOUT OUIMET?

Through caddying at Brae Burn where the membership was incredibly supportive of the fund and caddy program.

FAVORITE BRAE BURN MEMORY?

I caddied for the Member Guest champions one year. It was a father and son-in-law duo who I got to know well and have stayed in touch with. They treated me as their third and equal partner and we made an awesome team that week.

WHAT HAS BEING AN ALUM MEANT?

I’m proud to be a Ouimet Alumnus. The reach of The Fund is incredible. I get asked about my bag tag and Ouimet hat on golf courses in New York all the time and people here know about The Fund. I enjoy giving back through working on the Alumni Committee, making annual gifts and networking with current Scholars.

HOW HAVE YOU GOTTEN INVOLVED?

Serving on the Alumni Committee has been a great way to stay involved from out of state. We’ve held a few networking events in NYC that I’ve helped organize and I try to attend the annual banquet every few years. I also attended the first career fair event which was really fun meeting current Scholars and giving job advice.

Corey O’Neill, Babson College ‘22, Wellesley Country Club

FAVORITE ATHLETE?

Tom Brady

DREAM GOLF FOURSOME?

Tiger Woods, Jerome Powell, Arthur Blank

FAVORITE MEMORY FROM WORKING AT WELLESLEY?

My memory working at Wellesley Country Club was being the keynote speaker at the Babson College Centennial Golf Tournament hosted at WCC. It was an amazing honor in which I was able to be a proud Babson student and a proud Wellesley employee/ Ouimet Scholar on the same stage.

HOW HAVE YOU GOTTEN MORE INVOLVED WITH THE FUND SINCE BECOMING A SCHOLAR?

Since becoming a Scholar, I completed the Dale Carnegie Skills for Success training generously offered to all scholars, and using those skills I learned I spoke at a recent Ouimet board meeting and was able to tell my story. This summer I was a runner on Team Ouimet in the Falmouth Road Race “At Home Edition” to help fundraise for students like myself, and I also “caddied” for Frank Cartaglia in the Wellesley Golf Sprint!

Eileen Lent, Hobart and William Smith Colleges ’20, Charles River Country Club

FAVORITE MOVIE?

Harry Potter Series

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM? 

The Boston Bruins

WHAT DID THE SCHOLARSHIP MEAN TO YOU IN SCHOOL?

I was so fortunate to have been awarded the Ouimet Scholarship all four years of my college career. Receiving this scholarship has greatly reduced the financial burden of my family. I felt a part of something outside of myself and the extracurriculars I was involved in at school. The Ouimet Scholarship was something I am proud of and I am looking forward to giving back as part of the alumni community.  This scholarship has provided me the means to pursue my education, motivation to succeed and this past May, graduate Cum Laude from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

WHAT HAS BEING A OUIMET ALUMNA MEANT TO YOU SINCE GRADUATION?

As a Ouimet Alumna, I am proud and grateful to be part of a community that is so supportive. For the past two years, my mentor, Jim Blue, has given me the resources to obtain an internship in the summer of 2019 and a full-time job that I have recently started this past September of 2020. Mr. Blue’s mentorship and guidance has been invaluable. I hope to be a mentor to college students as well and ultimately give back to the Ouimet Scholarship Fund.  From my first day working at Charles River Country Club I was blessed with a supportive community that has allowed me to grow as a person and ever since I left Charles River Country Club I am lucky to have the same community by my side as an Alumna of the Francis Ouimet Fund Scholarship.

Over the last 28 years, the Ouimet Fund had been building what became the country’s largest Golf Marathon, an event which raised more than $6 million dollars.  Despite facing trying times, 2020 allowed our eager participants to remain involved and ultimately set new records under the new Golf Sprint format.

Clubs and individuals from across the state came together this summer to creatively play as many holes as possible in one hour, with the common goal of increasing the scholarship impact for Ouimet Scholars.  This new format allowed Sprinters to remain safe while continuing the tradition of the country’s largest golf endurance challenge.

Sprinters took on the challenge at more than 40 sites across the state, allowing many more people to get involved and share their own Ouimet message with fellow members, family, friends & colleagues.  A record breaking $410,000 was raised by more than 60 participants this year!  We are incredibly grateful to all the sprinters, fundraisers and donors who made this event a success.

NEW GOLF SPRINT FORMAT

• Sprinters creatively compete to play as many holes as possible in 1 HOUR!
• Flexible dates for playing & fundraising (early mornings, late evenings or aeration)
• Tons of prizes for holes played & dollars raised

HOW TO BECOME A GOLF SPRINTER?

• Register/create your fundraising page on Ouimet.org
• Secure 1 hour at your home course
• Share your page with family, friends & colleagues

To get involved in the 2021 Golf Sprint, please contact Jeff Murphy at Jeffm@ouimet.org.

Launched in 2020, the Ouimet Onward program assists Scholars and Alumni with finding job and internship opportunities, as well as growing their respective professional networks. The Career Fair, Career Portal, and Networking Events are an all-encompassing offering to our Scholars and Alumni to assist with their professional trajectory.

The goal is to continue to connect our wide Alumni base, as well as our corporate sponsors and generous donors, with Ouimet Scholars & Alumni seeking internships or full-time employment. Ouimet Scholars and Alumni are chosen after a rigorous application and interview process, and are the cream of the crop in their schools.

As the Ouimet Fund continues to expand its efforts in helping Scholars and Alumni not just in school but beyond the classroom, the Ouimet Career & Networking Resources will be the cornerstone of those efforts and the backbone of The Fund’s networking campaigns.

CAREER PORTAL

The Ouimet Fund Career Portal is the year-round home for the latest job and internship opportunities with our local and national partner companies, and is available exclusively for Ouimet Scholars & Alumni at Ouimet.org. All companies are welcome to be represented on the Portal, and Scholars & Alumni will be encouraged to examine all opportunities on a regular basis. Ouimet Scholars & Alumni are vetted, hard-working and consistently top of their class. Don’t miss this chance to fill your open positions with the best talent available!

The Career Portal is located on Ouimet.org. To gain access, please reach out to Thomas Murphy, Associate Director, Development & Alumni Relations, at Thomasm@ouimet.org.

CAREER FAIR

The Ouimet Career Fair welcomes companies to meet face to face with Ouimet Scholars and Alumni to discuss internship and full time positions. This event has grown in large part due to our partner companies as well as the thousands of Ouimet Alumni across the country who hold prestigious positions in dozens of industries. Unfortunately, the 2020 Career Fair had to be postponed but we looking forward to bringing this great event back in 2021!

If you or your company are interested in participating, reach out to Thomas Murphy, Associate Director, Development & Alumni Relations, at Thomasm@ouimet.org.

NETWORKING RESOURCES

The increasing Alumni engagement each year is tremendous, and while we were looking forward to capitalizing on the growing demand for Alumni networking receptions, current gathering protocols restricted our ability to do so. We look forward to seeing all of you again in 2021 for what we hope will be a record number of networking events, and thank you for giving back!

The Ouimet Fund is keenly aware of the important conversations about equity and diversity that received more appropriate attention in 2020. The Fund is proud of our growth in Scholarship impact to those in, oftentimes, underserved communities or demographic groups. With that being said, we can and will continue to seek out partnerships with local organizations and courses to bring those young men and women into working in the game. Demand for golf is up and ideally so will the opportunities for young people to add even more value to the golfer’s experience. Whether that means maintaining the course, enhancing the golfer experience at arrival or acting as a true partner on the bag caddying for the entire round, we encourage any clubs or courses looking to diversify their workforce to reach out about ideas on this common goal.

It was great to see the annual City of Boston Golf Management Program at Franklin Park and George Wright golf courses in full swing this summer. For eight weeks, 40 participants worked at Franklin Park and 48 participants worked at George Wright laying sod, fore caddying for daily play, assisting The First Tee program and engaging with their peers and mentor supervisors. While some elements of the program adjusted to new safety requirements, the small 10:1 ratios proved even more impactful and received positive feedback from all involved.

The Ouimet Fund’s Director of Scholarships, Michelle Edwards, spoke remotely via video conference to the participants about the timeline and benefits of the Ouimet Scholarship. We are thrilled with another 32 Ouimet Scholars this year from the two sites, a figure which has grown from 9 in 2015. For 25 years, more than 155 Boston students have benefited from this program and have received over $1.8 Million in Ouimet Scholarships. Due to Covid-19 protocols, previously highlighted programs in the city of Worcester were unfortunately on hold in 2020 and we hope are able to return safely in 2021.

Dear Ouimet Fund Friends,

On behalf of my fellow Ouimet Fund Directors, the staff, and the entire organization, I want to wish you and your family safety and health during what continues to be a difficult and unpredictable time.

The outbreak of the coronavirus has been a unique challenge in the history of this country, the Ouimet Fund, and for you and your family. There has been no person, no business, no organization which has not been changed by the pandemic. Across the board, 70% of Ouimet Scholars lost a job or internship this past summer, and since March, one out of every four saw a parent lose a job. So much has transpired for these families, and many were unsure of basic finances, let alone paying for college tuition. As an organization, we are incredibly thankful for the generous support so many have given to ensure that Ouimet Scholarships are possible for nearly 450 young men and women this school year. Your investment is imperative for these Ouimet Scholars, who are maintaining a 3.5 GPA and graduating at a 92% rate in four years. We truly cannot thank you enough for your continued commitment to the education of our young Ouimet Scholars.

In this first year as President, I have been so fortunate for the resolve and commitment of our closest friends. In April, we were forced to cancel our Annual Banquet and offer a virtual version of it a few weeks later. With the graciousness of Tom Kite and Master of Ceremonies Dave Marr III, and with the financial loyalty of our sponsors, including longtime presenting sponsor Dick Connolly, the presentation of the Ouimet Award was available to our friends from the safety of their homes. It was a special day to celebrate Mr. Kite, one of golf’s all-time great players, and showcase his Hall of Fame career and off the course life on our brand-new website while making an incredible impact on our scholarship budget.

In a year as volatile as this we were unsure if support of the Bag Tag Program, which is the financial foundation of our organization, would persist. Once golf reopened, we were so grateful to the 75 clubs across the state who remained committed to the Program. As a result, The Fund was able to maintain our goal of $2.5 million in need-based scholarship awards. To go along with this incredible commitment, many club representatives and dozens of new enthusiastic individuals participated in our inaugural Golf Sprint, which broke all fundraising records of its predecessor – the Golf Marathon. The generosity of these supporting clubs is vital to our organization, and we are incredibly grateful for their continued support.

We are excited about our new organizational structure, led by a committed Executive Committee, and I owe a huge thank you to all my fellow directors. When the outlook was at its most bleak in March, we committed to not reduce our Scholars’ awards and drive toward another $2.5 million, whatever it took. Our Board reached out and advocated for us at supporting clubs across the state to continue their aid in fundraising efforts of the Annual Banquet, the Bag Tag program, the Golf Sprint, and Endowed Scholarships. To coincide with our organizational restructure, we welcomed Colin McGuire as our new Executive Director and are so proud of the entire team for their direction and navigation through the uncharted waters of 2020.

We know that the impact of the pandemic will affect the financial need of Ouimet Scholar families beyond the new year, and we look forward to enhancing their experience and working to increase their scholarship awards.

For those in a position to do so, please consider our Lifetime Membership and Endowed Scholarship Program, both of which can be spread out over multiple years as necessary.  Our Planned Giving Program will set us up for years to come and is another way to honor the legacy of you and your family.  In addition to our growing list of participants in those programs, this fall our online Career Portal launched. This new benefit offers our partner companies a forum to post internships and job offerings for our Scholars and Alumni, who are poised to bring their hard-working values to your organization.

From mentoring Scholars on the course, to financing their higher-education and now leading them to career opportunities, the Ouimet impact is growing by the day.  On behalf of all the Scholars, I wish you all the best in 2021 and again, thank you!

 

Jim Moriarty

Ouimet Fund President