For a lot of high school students in Jacksonville, IL, Illinois College is not usually a first option as it sits here in town, and they claim they are ready to get out of town once they are done with high school. As a junior at Jacksonville High School, I thought the same exact thing. In my head I was thinking I was ready to get out of town and do my own thing while I can and make new experiences. Now, as a senior in high school, I have realized that I can still do all of that right here in town, and it won’t even feel like I am in town still.

Abby Vorreyer, the men’s and women’s golf coach at IC, has been recruiting me ever since the summer and has been trying her absolute hardest to get me to join her team next fall. My mom works in admissions at IC, so my tuition would be paid for, but before making my ultimate decision, I wanted to explore other places and see how I would maybe fair out of town. I checked out Quincy University, Maryville University, Columbia College, and Blackburn College, talking to all of their golf coaches. All schools were nice but didn’t seem to match the feeling that Illinois College brought to me.

Vorreyer did a very good job showing her interest in me as player and a person. She brought me onto campus and had me do an overnight stay with the team to get to know them and get an inside view of the program and what it has to offer. She made it very clear that she wanted me on her team, and I have no doubt that she will help me become a better player.

With my mom working at IC, my decision became easier. After I saw the whole campus, I realized that it is an atmosphere where I will feel safe and at home; it is clear that IC is the right place for me. I couldn’t be more happy to continue my golf and educational careers as a Blueboy. I’m looking forward to seeing what being True Blue brings me.