Augusta National is notorious as the site of the world’s most famous golf tournament – The Masters begins Thursday – and for excluding all but white males as members until 1990 and females until Rice in 2012 became one of the first two females admitted.
So, the place is ironically positioned to incubate concepts of inclusion and diversity.
With the advent of the first female event ever at Augusta National (the final round was played there), ANWA sponsor IBM reached out to several schools to participate and Georgia Tech, Emory, South Carolina and Georgia attended the event.
Some time ago, Maureen Tremblay, coordinator of Tech’s Total Person program, forwarded the invitation to several upper-class Jackets, and many who had no athletic obligation last weekend accepted. Lee, Scott and Ilgenfritz were joined in Augusta by swimmers Kristen Hepler, Lila Best, Emily Dykstra, Caroline Doi, Madeline Oliver and volleyball player Lauren Frerking.
Soon after the IBM bus drove down Magnolia Lane and dropped off the Jackets, the student-athletes had breakfast and then watched some golf. There was a tour of IBM scoring technology at the site, and then lunch and the symposium with Rometty and IBM human resources officials Deb Bubb and Obed Louissaint.
Lessons were learned.
“One of the HR specialists was saying what can really help with diversity and inclusion is feedback . . . and the best way to get that is to ask for it,” Scott said. “I think I’m good at that because in basketball we get critiqued a lot.”
Rometty advised all that succeeding will not be easy.
“Definitely meeting Ginny because she’s the CEO, and I did not expect her to be so interactive with us. She was interacting with us the whole day,” Ilgenfritz said. “That was definitely a very impactful conversation, and it inspired me to not be afraid to ask for feedback. They talked about how in order to grow, you have to be uncomfortable.”
Athletic as these student-athletes are, golf was something of a new experience and the world’s most famous course was a revelation of sorts. After lunch, they went back out to the course, where Wake Forest senior Jennifer Kupcho won amid polite and sporadic applause.
The Jackets didn’t mind having no cellphones. They’re not allowed at Augusta National.
“I thought it was so cool. The grass was perfect. It was very hilly, very big, and the weather was nice,” Scott said. “I don’t have a lot of experience with golf. It was cool to see a different culture. I’m used to being around sports where you cheer loudly. It was cool to unplug and really give your undivided attention to the sport.”
Lee said, “I really appreciated not having our cell phones, and not being distracted and giving my full attention to the IBM staff. I don’t want to seem like I’m always attached to my phone. It actually made me want to look into golf more.”
