STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Penn State alumnus organized internship experience during COVID-19
Logan Rosa
Senior, PGA Professional Golf Management option in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management
When many undergraduate students were facing uncertainty with their studies and learning experiences due to COVID-19, Penn State alumni stepped up to offer them the opportunities they needed to continue their education.
Logan Rosa, a senior in the PGA Professional Golf Management option of the Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management major, was offered one such opportunity when his original internship was cancelled.
Rosa became a Professional Golf Association (PGA) intern at Woodland Country Club in Indiana, where Penn State PGM alumnus Patrick White ’08 works as the PGA head professional. In this role, Rosa ran and assisted with junior golf clinics alongside a top-100 instructor, Jason Carbone, as well as working in the golf shop and general operations.
“From this experience, I learned just how resilient the golf industry is,” said Rosa. “During a time when just about every non-essential business was shut down, the golf industry was one of the first recreational outlets to re-open.”
White noted that the golf industry thrived during COVID-19 as a safe, socially distanced recreational activity, so when bringing on additional staff, it was important to offer the opportunity to fellow Penn Staters.
“Our club experienced a 35% increase in play during COVID-19, so having the necessary staff was important to us,” he said. “When the opportunity came up to hire a Penn Stater, it was a no brainer to bring Logan on during our busy months.”
White said that with increased operations, interns had more opportunities to learn all facets of the golf industry.
For Rosa, having this internship experience was important because it taught him things he never could have learned in class.
“This internship, and past experiences, have taught me what it means to be a PGA professional. During this unique season, it was important to be able to rely on the PGA professional standard and everything that means.”
Rosa credits Matt Bakowicz, an instructor in Penn State’s PGM program, with making his experience at Woodland Country Club possible. “He worked incredibly hard to help those of us who lost our original internships, and he was my biggest supporter in taking advantage of this opportunity.”
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The student experience in 2020 was unique in the history of Penn State. Many traditional hallmarks of student life were altered by our inability to gather in large groups. However, our students have shown resilience, tenacity, and the ability to work together. WE ARE…
