Golfer Jessica Gregory wins scholarship
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by Scott Mitchell
sittingbourne@thekmgroup.co.uk
A promising teenage golfer is heading to America after a
whirlwind 2011.
Jessica Gregory will move to the States in August after
accepting a 75 per cent scholarship to study at the University of
Maryland.
The 17-year-old, of Burntwick Drive, Lower Halstow, received the
offer just before Christmas after a conference call interview with
the university's director of golf, their women's coach, and the
head of Jessica's scholarship agency Prodream USA's Lorne
Kelly.
It capped a remarkable year in which she became the
joint-youngest winner of the Kent Ladies' Championship, won the
Kent Schools' Golf championship, and was named Kent Junior Girls'
captain.
She said: "With every offer I received from different
universities I became more and more excited, then Maryland came in
and it was really overwhelming.
"I thought the interview went really well and then I received an
email confirming the placement and it finally hit me."
The Highsted Grammar pupil, who has been playing the sport for
seven years, received scholarship offers from 14 universities.
"My agency said it's one of the highest-profile universities
they deal with, so the decision to accept their offer was never
doubted."
Jessica will spend four years in America and is aiming to study
business or history. The scholarship, which covers payment for
food, tuition and board, will ease the financial pressures of
studying Stateside and is likely to increase for the second, third
and fourth years.
Her mother Maureen said: "We were absolutely ecstatic when
Jessica got the offer from Maryland.
"It is a reflection of what she has achieved through her golf
victories over the last year, and her academic achievements."
The family will visit Maryland for a few days in February and
Jessica, who will move there in August, wants to return home at the
end of her studies with the hope of turning professional.
Chris Daniels, Kent Ladies' county captain, believes Jessica can
go on to have a successful career.
"Jessica's work ethic for golf and her studies will definitely
stand her in good stead for whatever she wants," she said.
Tuesday, January 10 2012
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