George Qian - Senior Reflection 2017

When I arrived at Carnegie Mellon University as a freshman, I had no idea what to expect in the classroom or on the golf course. I had heard of numerous perfect SAT scores and an All-American golfer in Ian Bangor. I approached my first semester nervously but quickly found my place. In the classroom, I was excelling in my business school classes, and I became a major contributor on the golf team.

One thing I learned very quickly is that Carnegie Mellon students and athletes never stop challenging themselves. I followed suit by pursuing a computer science minor beginning in my sophomore year. I had no background in computer science, but I was very interested as soon as I started. Although it has been by far the most conceptually difficult, time-consuming, and frustrating pursuit in my academic career, it has been extremely gratifying. I am beyond proud to say that I was able to complete much of the computer science core at the absolute best institution in the world to do so. Completing this minor has left a lasting impression on my process and approach to any problem in life. 

I knew as soon as I set foot at Longue Vue Club that I wanted to leave a legacy on the Tartan golf program. Despite being so busy in the classroom, I have grown enormously as a golfer during my time here. I am grateful to Ian Bangor, a mentor for me during my freshman year. Ian showed me that it is possible to be a top player in the country while being an excellent student. My performance as a student-athlete at CMU has given me the confidence to pursue my dream of being a professional golfer. I have fully adopted the philosophy that one should pursue what he/she loves to do, not what a school or societal system says is the "right" path to follow. 

We are extremely lucky as CMU golfers to have the facilities and coaches that we have. We have arguably the best practice facilities of any northern Division III school with Longue Vue Club and our simulator on campus. Over my four years on the team, we have had three coaches, each of whom has shown tremendous dedication to advance our program. It has been great to see the team rankings climb throughout my four years, and we owe that to the efforts of our coaches.

I am eternally grateful to this university for the experiences it has provided and the relationships it has opened for me. As I pursue my dream of playing on the PGA Tour, I will alway remember that a very wise man once said, “My heart is in the work.”