Texas Tech freshman Bryn Arnold has big plans. The 18-year-old from West Texas is pursuing a double major in Agricultural Economics and General Business with a minor in Political Science. After that, the former high school valedictorian intends to go to law school.
The TGA Foundation is proud to help Arnold chase her academic aspirations. She’s the recipient of the inaugural John Semander Family Scholarship, an annual $5,000 award given to young golfers who are seeking higher education.
“I set a goal and do everything I possibly can to plan for and achieve that goal,” said Arnold, who played golf in high school and scored three consecutive top-20 finishes in UIL Class 1A State Championships. “I am a dedicated student; I have prepared myself to be successful.”
The John Semander Family Scholarship was created in 2018 to provide financial assistance to support and encourage golfers who exemplify academic proficiency and illustrate a connection to the game of golf. Both John and his wife Nancy Semander are longtime TGA volunteers from Houston who have given endless amounts of their time and energy to promote golf in Texas. John is a former TGA Director who has helped countless amateurs across the state with his dedication to the game.
Now Arnold gets added to the list of people Semander has helped, and she certainly qualifies for the honor in every respect.
Arnold hails from Spur, located about an hour east of Lubbock. With less than 1,500 residents, Spur is a tiny town by any measurement. But that hasn’t stopped one of its natives from dreaming big. Arnold’s father and grandfather were farmers. For as long as she can remember, Arnold was surrounded by agriculture and all of its functions. She embraced it and when old enough, Arnold joined the Future Farmers of America and the local 4-H club.
She was also interested in business – she joined the Business Professionals of America in high school – and these pursuits helped her set her sights on a noble career path.
“I want to attend law school and specialize in agricultural and natural resource law to work for either non-profits or in a small town to advocate for agriculture and fight for the rights of those in agriculture,” Arnold said, who graduated from high school with a 4.0 GPA.
Arnold started playing golf around age 8. Her parents played, too, and Arnold loved the family outings to the golf course. As her game improved, she started playing competitively. That culminated into her experience on the Spur Secondary School girls’ golf team and the three successful trips to the state tournament. Arnold hasn’t ruled out the idea of playing college golf, but right now academics are her priority.
“It's always in the back of my mind that I could walk on somewhere, but for now I just want to enjoy my first couple of years at college,” she said. “I do play in a lot of tournaments with my dad. I really do enjoy playing competitively for fun.”
Arnold said she plans to use the John Semander Family Scholarship funds to pay for books, housing and dining.
“I want to thank Mr. Semander and his family profusely for giving me the opportunity to receive this scholarship,” Arnold said. “It has helped tremendously.”
