On Friday, March 7, THE PLAYERS Championship invited high school students from Duval County Public Schools to visit the PGA Tour Global Home for its second annual Tee Up Your Future event.
Executive Director at THE PLAYERS Championship, Lee Smith, opened the panel by giving students a brief history of the economic impact the tournament has on the Northeast Florida area and encouraged the students to engage with the exclusive panel of speakers, who were all fellow graduates from the Duval County Public School System.
“We’re excited to partner with Duval County Public Schools,” Lee said. “This is just the tip of the iceberg.”
In addition to a behind-the-scenes tour, students attended an education forum with special guest speakers from the PGA Tour, where students sat in on the panel hosted by Marcel Robinson of Action News Jax. Guests included Marsha Oliver, Senior Vice President of Community & Public Engagement; James Oliva, Head of Cybersecurity; Emily Redito, Senior Manager of Tournament Business and Sponsor Relations; and Jordan Smith, Brand Communications and Storytelling Specialist.
The panel discussion urged the students to set their goals for success high and grow their connections at every opportunity.
“You need people that have a different perspective,” Smith told students. “Life and growing is always about gaining new perspectives. You’re not going to do that if you’re around the same people every single day.”
Students had the opportunity to ask the panelists questions, including inquiries about internship opportunities and strategies for advancing their careers.
Leroy Butler, Jacksonville native and NFL Hall of Famer, delivered a keynote speech on overcoming adversity, sharing his inspiring story of rising above the challenges of his youth.
The event concluded with breakout sessions, where students met in small groups with community leaders such as Ed Weinberg, CEO at Optum Serve, Mal Washington, Founder of MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation, and David Green, Executive Director and Branch Manager at Morgan Stanley.
Comcast Business, one of THE PLAYERS' exclusive Proud Partners, surprised each student with a brand-new laptop to take home, providing them with a valuable resource to support their studies and future goals.
