HPU Students Make Meaningful Connections at The Masters
HIGH POINT, N.C., April 17, 2024 – A group of 50 High Point University students recently had the opportunity to work at The Masters Tournament and develop their professional skills while helping to run one of golf’s most historic events.
HPU is among a select group of schools whose students get to take part in one of the PGA’s ultimate externship opportunities at The Masters. The students spent a week working in a variety of hospitality and merchandising roles at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, which hosted The Masters from April 11-14.
“Working at the Masters was an opportunity for me to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. I met a great group of people and further learned how to work well with a team of people I was unfamiliar with,” said Jack Jodoin-Siegel, a 2023 business administration graduate from Boston who is now pursuing a master’s degree in communications and business leadership at HPU. “This opportunity meant the world to me, as most people never even get to step foot on Augusta National.”
HPU’s Office of Career & Professional Development worked with the students to help them draft strong resumes and prepare for the virtual interviews that were part of Augusta National’s hiring process. After the students were selected for the externship, the office held a pre-boarding meeting with the group to provide guidance on what it takes to be a successful team member at The Masters.
“We’re not just educating students on how to acquire such an opportunity, but rather articulate the value of how to succeed in the workspace once hired,” said Dr. Doug Hall, vice president for the Office of Career & Professional Development.
In addition, the group met with CBS Sports’ Lead Golf Producer Sellers Shy, who serves as HPU’s Network Television Producer in Residence, during his visit to campus in February.
Several students said they were able to network, make connections with business professionals and learn more about the importance of teamwork and good customer service while working at The Masters.
“As a student studying hospitality management, this was the place to be,” said Sophia Sorrentino, a junior from Staten Island, New York. “I had such a nice time getting to know patrons and seeing all of the thought and detail that goes into putting on an event that is this important. This experience allowed me to network with people within the industry that I would’ve never met otherwise and make friends from across the country.”
This was Morgan Schragger’s second time working as a server in one of the VIP hospitality suites at Augusta National. A senior event management major from New Jersey, she said the experience gave her more insight into “the essence of customer service, hospitality and the power of a genuine smile as you never know who might walk through the door.”
“The Masters is truly unlike any other experience,” said Patrick Parker, a sophomore business administration major from Lake Norman, North Carolina. “This opportunity to work at such a prestigious event was so beneficial to my professional development, as I was able to network with business professionals, further develop my communication skills and gain an understanding of what planning goes into such a large-scale event.”
Kailey Wrege, a senior event management major from Cary, North Carolina, said her supervisor at The Masters preached that “true hospitality is less about service and more about how you make a person feel.” She worked with a few other HPU students at Firethorn Cabin, which is a hospitality cabin at Augusta National that is sponsored by Mercedes-Benz.
Jade Isola, a senior business administration major from Fort Mill, South Carolina, worked in the children’s section of Augusta National’s main golf shop. Her position required her to continuously check two floors of inventory to ensure the sales associates had merchandise to present to fans who were in town for The Masters.
Isola also had to implement a system for efficiently restocking 17 styles of clothing, take inventory at the end of the day and understand the different sizes of clothing for infants, toddlers and youth.
“Working at the Masters Tournament opened my eyes to the importance of teamwork and emphasized the impact of a positive attitude. I enjoyed learning operations from such an encouraging team,” Isola said. “From organizing the boxes of merchandise in the warehouse to presenting it to the patrons, The Masters Tournament taught me the importance of organization and effective communication in the Children’s Operations Department.”