Where Opportunity Meets Passion

I started at JIS in Prep Senior at Pattimura Elementary (PEL). My Dad is also a JIS graduate. JIS definitely allowed me to try many different sports and was very accommodating of my choices.

Since graduating from college in 2015, I have pursued a career as a professional golfer. I would say that the real journey for me as a golfer began toward seventh/eighth grade and into ninth grade when [JIS] first started the golf team. I had always been a basketballer at JIS, from Elementary School to the Middle School team and then Varsity and IASAS in my Junior and Senior years. At the same time, I was also into golf, and it was during my Senior year at JIS that I realized if I wanted to pursue one of these sports, golf would have more opportunities in the US college system. If it wasn’t for the flexibility and accommodating nature of my teachers and coaches, I would not have been able to pursue both sports during my High School years and have the opportunity to make the decision of which one I wanted to continue. 

The IASAS tournaments were always a highlight of the year. I think if I had to pick a memory, it would be winning IASAS Golf each year I was part of the team. At the time, I was the sixth man (worst player) on the team, but to be able to represent something (JIS) while playing a sport you enjoy is a lot of fun, and the team aspect made it competitive even within our own team. I think that without the High School golf team experience, I would not have pursued golf at the collegiate level, so I owe a lot of where I am today to my time at JIS.

My advice for JIS students: You are still young, and you don’t have to make any definitive decisions yet. Try as many sports, activities, clubs, etc. as you can while you have them available to you at JIS. This is the time and place to figure out what you like, and what you don’t like, and help you decide where you want to go in life with your career and hobbies.