UHV golfer juggles sport, studies, job to be part of new program
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| Whitley Patterson |
Every program gets its start somewhere – one small push that gets it up and going. For the University of Houston-Victoria golf program, that push came from Whitley Patterson.
Patterson was the first person recruited to play for the program, which is in its first year.
“I was there right from the start,” she said. “It’s been pretty cool. And I’ve made some really great friends on the team.”
The outdoor pastime is nothing new for Patterson, a Meridian native. She comes from a family of golfers and played when she was younger. She didn’t get serious about the game until her freshman year in high school, however, when she decided she’d like to earn a golf patch on a letterman jacket.
“I went for it then,” Patterson said.
Today she’s No. 1 on the UHV women’s team.
However, it isn’t all about golf for this 20-year-old. Patterson, a marketing major, also keeps busy with her studies. She hopes to someday become a sports broadcaster.
“My dad is a football coach,” she said. “Sports is something I grew up around and can really understand. I think it would be exciting.”
Between classes and golf – although not as much golf as she would like, she admits – the athlete’s schedule is packed. That calendar becomes even tighter once she calculates her job into the mix.
Patterson works as a resident adviser at Jaguar Hall, assisting her fellow dorm mates and keeping an eye on things. The free housing was one draw to the job, but she also enjoys the chance to be around her friends.
“In the dorms, you can get out and play ping-pong any time you want or visit with people,” she said, explaining she’s always enjoyed being around others. “It’s been very positive so far.”
The work also has proven to be a learning experience, she said, explaining that she deals with people daily, settling disputes, working out issues and the like.
“It’s been interesting, I’ll say that,” Patterson said with a laugh. “I’ve learned a lot.”
All in all, she’s happy with the path she’s chosen. It takes juggling a manic schedule at times, but UHV has been a good fit.
“There are a lot of opportunities to make history and to make things happen,” she said. “I have the chance to be a part of something new.”
The UHV Outstanding Student is an online feature highlighting the exceptional students who attend the University of Houston-Victoria. To nominate a student, contact UHV Communications Manager Paula Cobler or call 361-570-4350.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
