Christopher Lee - Golf
Christopher Lee is a senior captain on the Carnegie Mellon men’s golf team. Christopher is pursuing a degree in business and will graduate in May.
On a sunny April day, I visited Carnegie Mellon for the first time
as a high school senior still weighing my college options.
With golf a huge deciding factor, I distinctly remember walking
into Coach Erdelyi’s office to hear about the golf
program. In typical Erdelyi style, he pitched the CMU golf
experience as one that was on the rise with several solid players
in the year above me. Further, he described the exceptional
Longue Vue Country Club available to CMU golfers. In the end,
Coach Erd proved to be an effective salesman, as I truly believed
that CMU offered the best balance given my interests. Later
that week, I decided to officially enroll at Carnegie Mellon
knowing that I was attending a premier academic school, while
continuing to play competitive golf.
Reflecting on my four-year college career, my experience reaffirms
that I made the right decision. On the academic side, I
received an education that developed and further honed my business
acumen, while teaching “soft” skills such as leadership
and effective communication. Regarding athletics, I was a
part of a huge turnaround in the golf program that culminated with
our bid to the NCAA national tournament last year. So, as a
student-athlete, I have accumulated a number of memories that I
will always carry with me.
One of my fondest memories occurred at last year’s UAA
conference tournament in Georgia. Entering the tournament,
the team was on track for the best season in CMU history with wins
at the McDaniel Invitational and the Mid-Atlantic Regional
tournament. So, the team was well aware what another win
could mean, Carnegie Mellon’s first-ever conference
championship and a potential bid to Nationals. With our goal
clearly defined, we set out to tackle a challenging course that was
narrow, tree-lined, and full of hazards. Undeterred, the team
persevered and fought its way to a 3-shot victory. As the
individual leader, I was in the final pairing, and consequently,
had the opportunity to knock in the final putt to secure the
win. With the team waiting to storm the green, it was an
exhilarating feeling that I will not forget anytime soon.
Recounting my CMU experience would not be complete without
discussing some of the challenges that I faced. Even without
any other commitments, CMU’s notorious workload can be
difficult to manage. However, while in season, the difficulty
level seemed to triple, as I was traveling to another city every
weekend. This meant plenty of late nights, group meetings via
video conferencing, and close to zero down time. However, I
would never trade in this experience, as I learned the true meaning
of work ethic and perseverance. Plus, it was refreshing to
leave campus and travel throughout Pennsylvania, to Georgia, and
Florida with my fellow teammates.
As I ready to finally hit the “real” world, I know
that Carnegie Mellon equipped me with all the tools necessary to
succeed. Not only did I receive an exceptional education, but
also I developed a number of great relationships including with my
teammates. All in all, I could not ask for a more complete
college experience, and I hope to stay involved with the university
for many years to come.