Joining the PGA Golf Management program brought back Noah Hennig’s enthusiasm for school.

The College of Business graduate previously studied engineering before realizing it wasn’t for him and decided to take some time away from college. He didn’t expect to return, but working at a golf course connected him with the PGA Management Program and brought back his interest in school.

“I had worked in golf before and my dad encouraged me to try working at a golf course, so I cold emailed general managers around Denver and one of them happened to be from my hometown and worked at the same club that I did,” said Noah. “He got me the job and they kind of trained me while I applied for UCCS.”

“It was the best decision I ever made,” he added. “It restarted my life in a great way where it gave me a purpose and reinvigorated my work ethic. I was just going to work a job anywhere and I wasn’t enjoying that, and then I met friends for life and I’m in a career that I really like.”

Now, Noah is about to pursue that career overseas. As internships for PGA Management grow both domestically and internationally, students have opportunities in many different locations. Noah’s internship takes place in England, at The Grove golf course, near London. He’ll even be rooming and working again with his former roommate and fellow PGA Golf Management grad, who Noah helped connect with The Grove’s management. The Grove outlines their internships with a diverse rubric, so Noah will get experience in all aspects of course management, including his preferred area of tournament organization.

“I’ll be there until November, and they start you outside for about two weeks and you eventually become a supervisor of the outside services, and then you do some work inside and run a tournament from start to finish,” explained Noah. “I’m interested in teaching, but my main joy is tournament operations. I’ve never been outside the country, so I’m excited to travel, and being able to so with my friend will be awesome.”

Working and living with a friend that he knows through the PGA Golf Management program also allows Noah to bring some of what he loved most about the program with him – the close ties he had with his classmates.

“I’ll miss the camaraderie,” he said. “It’s basically a coed frat. We all know each other and we all see each other every single day, have all our classes in Dwire and spend a lot of time together during tournaments. I like how small and tight-knit the program is, it makes it really fun and easy to get through it.”

Noah emphasized how much those connections and choosing a path you enjoy can help students thrive.

“Make friends and stick close to the ones in your cohort, and make sure you’re doing something that you love,” he said. “Don’t go to a college or do a program if it’s not something you really want to do. Surrounding yourself with good people and making sure you like what you’re doing is important.”

For Noah, support came not just from his cohort friends but his parents as well.

“My parents supported me through everything,” he said. “I was kind of lost for a while, and my dad kept telling me I should go back to golf, and I didn’t really agree. Then when I found the program I was like, ‘Oh, you’re right.’ So thank you to my parents for everything. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”

Along with the excitement of travel and new experiences, Noah’s upcoming commencement brings the knowledge he can finally be done with school, which his younger self would surely appreciate.

“My dad always tells the story when I finished my first year at kindergarten and I thought I was done with school forever,” Noah laughed. “And after next month, I can finally say I’m done.”