Strolling around a university during a campus visit, her eyes move rapidly, trying to take everything in; she feels like a little kid in a candy store. She’s oblivious to what’s about to happen as she walks into the building.

Her heart begins to beat faster than ever before and it takes a couple minutes to process the words that were just said to her. Joy, adrenaline and excitement overcome her; this is something she had only dreamt of happening. She just received the news that the college has given her an athletic offer.

Senior varsity golf player Simone Campise was given the opportunity to play golf for the University of Arkansas Fort Smith on Friday, Nov. 2, 2018. Campise had no doubt in her mind that this was the school she wanted to attend, so she accepted the offer that same day.

“I’m very excited to be playing at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith,” Campise said. “I get along very well with the players and the coach, I can’t wait to be a part of the team. I loved the campus and the people were very nice and it wasn’t a huge school where I would be walking a ton across campus.”

Campise has only been playing golf for four years but that doesn’t limit her abilities. Golf has become one of the biggest aspects of her life and she continues to work diligently everyday to become a better player.

“I got into golf right before my freshman year but I had been going to golf camps since I was in middle school,” Campise said. “Ever since I started taking it seriously, I started enjoying it a lot and I wanted to continue.”

Regardless of Campise having a late start, varsity golf coach Julie Lowry was not surprised that Campise was able to obtain an offer. Lowrey has seen Campise put in countless of hours to achieve what she puts her mind to.

“It is a very small percentage of student athletes that receive scholarships and even smaller in the game of golf,” Lowrey said. “She has worked hard over the past 4 years and she’s very hard on herself but that is what motivates her even more, [she is] always working to improve her skills.”

All of Campise’s friends are always by her side to celebrate her victories and encourage her when she doesn’t do well. Senior Patricia Frietag was extremely proud of her friend when she received the news that Campise was committed to play for the University of Arkansas.

“I think it’s an amazing opportunity and I’m really happy for her,” Frietag said. “The fact that she’s determined to get better at golf and the perseverance and hard work she puts into golf are some of the factors that contribute to her success.”

As the last months of her senior year are flying by, Campise is reminiscing on all the years she has been playing golf and how much she has improved since she began playing the sport. She looks back at all of her achievements, the most significant one being when she made two holes in one.  

“She has improved every year,” Lowrey said. “She plays year round in many competitive tournaments. She has placed in the top 10 about 8 times in the past two seasons.”

Campise has various goals for her next few years at college, including being in the top five players on the team, but she’s already thinking beyond college. Ideally she wants to play golf after college.

“I can see myself in the position of playing golf on a professional level but my overall goal is to play in a professional tour,” Campise said.

Her teammates and coaches will be missed but she will never forget all the life lessons she has learned through the sport. It has been an four years full of improvements and making memories.

“The biggest lesson I have learned from golf would be not to overthink things because it can make the situation worse,” Campise said. “Now, I try to think thoroughly through things but not to the point where it stresses me out.”