Ryan Adams is a Class of 2014 graduate who followed a unique path through the UCCS College of Business: PGA Golf Management. While cooking and traveling are two of his favorite hobbies, golf has long been more than a hobby for Adams - it was a passion.
The PGA Golf Management program at UCCS is only one of 18 across the country accredited by the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) of America and, upon starting in the fall of 2010, Adams quickly acclimated to his new surroundings in pursuit of merging his passion in gold with a career. That was, in large part, thanks to his mentor Ed Kelbel, the late PGA Professional and UCCS PGA Golf Management's Program Director from 2008-12.
"The first time I met Ed was with my mom on a campus visit in fall 2009," remembers Adams, now a PGA Professional himself who currently works as an Associate Editor for PGA Magazine. "I had just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes the previous month and both my mom and I were concerned about being me far from Minnesota, my home. Ed said, 'Don't you worry - I'll take good care of Ryan here in Colorado Springs. He and I will check-in every month to make sure everything is smooth sailing.' That reassurance made me feel so comfortable and Ed became someone incredibly dear to me. He was a father figure to all of us of in the program."
The beautiful campus and inviting atmosphere Kelbel laid out at UCCS were additional reasons Adams chose to join the Mountain Lion family, leading to a rewarding four-year experience while he pursued PGA Membership and got his degree in the College of Business. Adams also wrote for UCCS' campus newspaper, The Scribe. Although Colorado Springs was very different from his hometown of Plymouth, Minnesota, outside Minneapolis, the opportunity to ski, hike, and golf throughout the year made the city a great place to live for outdoor activities.
After graduating, Adams has also participated in numerous volunteer opportunities with UCCS including the "Write-A-Mountain Lion" (WAML) letter-writing program and the financial scholarship review program. Why does Adams volunteer? "UCCS played a major role in where I'm at today in my life - I wouldn't be the same person without my experiences on 'the bluffs' in Colorado Springs," says Adams. "I enjoy volunteering because it helps me stay connected to the school. The WAML program is especially rewarding because I'm writing to someone who used to be me - a college freshman just starting their adventure. I want them to know UCCS will be just as special for them as it was for me, and that I'm proof on how special the time can be in Colorado Springs." He also enjoys volunteer work that allows him to help future and current students who are pursuing degrees at UCCS. WAML is Ryan's favorite volunteer activity because he hopes that he can relate his experience to other students. Adams' hobbies include golf, travel, cooking, baking, and trying new foods. He says that volunteering with UCCS has given him the opportunity to reconnect with the campus even when he lives across the country.
