Meet the five supporting the #AJGAInternship from HQ

In 2023, over 1,000 applications were submitted for internship opportunities with the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA). After rounds of prestigious interviews, roughly 100 applicants were offered an opportunity to travel the country while helping conduct AJGA events. In addition to this, five applicants were selected to help support the organization in national headquarters in Braselton, Georgia. Positions were offered in the Player Services, Communications, and Finance departments. We were able to sit down, talk, and hear the stories and unique experiences from the five interns working in HQ this summer.

Michael Johnson

College: Berry College

Major: Communications

Position: Communications-Video Production In-House Intern

Johnson was looking for an internship to gain real-world experience in the communications field. He applied for this internship after a few conversations with the coaches within the Berry College Athletic department and to get a foot in the communication’s world, as the internship aligned perfectly with his major and concentration.

“This internship allows me to get a grasp of what it is like to work in the sports communications field and allows me to market not only my skills but how to properly present myself and my work in a professional manner” stated Johnson. When asked what he liked most about the internship, Johnson said, “I like the challenge of it. I am constantly stretched and challenged to not only ask questions but to step out of what I am comfortable within a day-to-day situation and to want to produce the best work possible, whether that be an article or a video.”

Avery Kiewert

College: Georgia Southern University

Major: Marketing

Position: Player Services In-House Intern

Kiewert chose to work for the AJGA because of the opportunity the AJGA provides to have an edge in the sports industry with future employment and the chance to make an impact and help others around the world.

Kiewert was asked what has challenged her the most and what she was most surprised about throughout the course of the internship. “This internship has challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and to engage with people of diverse backgrounds from all around the world. What surprised me the most is just how many kids from across the globe want to come to the US to play college golf, and for me to be a small part of that experience is amazing.”

Carleigh Palumbo

College: University of Georgia

Major: Advertising

Position: Communications In-House Intern

With little background knowledge in golf, Palumbo applied to the AJGA internship because she was inspired by the AJGA being a non-profit organization and their mission to help others.

When asked how her perspective on junior golf and future career plans have changed since beginning the AJGA internship, Palumbo replied “I didn't really have an idea of what I wanted to do before working here. After working here, I have more drive and excitement to work somewhere I feel like I belong. It has made me realize the environment and the people I work with are especially important, not just enjoying what I do every day. I want to work somewhere with people as kind as the AJGA staff. Going to one of the tournaments showed me how much work it is to run an event, it made me want to work harder at my goals.

Nick Lozen

College: University of Georgia

Major: Finance

Position: Finance In-House Intern

Lozen was searching for an internship to apply his financial skills and gain real-life experience. With a strong interest in golf, he decided to apply to the Finance internship at the AJGA. Throughout the internship, Lozen has worked on special projects in purchasing, budgeting, accounting, and helped to ease the process of automating internal reports.

Looking forward, Lozen is excited and grateful for all the opportunities the AJGA has been able to provide for him. “This experience is going to help me tremendously in my career, because it's helped me understand the business world in a way that the classroom never could. I have been able to dip my toes into every part of the finance department and it has helped strengthen my skills for the real world. From this internship, I will be able to use the experience and skills I've gained to fit in at any company and understand their books exponentially quicker than I could have before” stated Lozen.

Savannah Keifer

College: University of Georgia

Major: Finance

Position: Player Services In-House Intern

As a former junior and high school golfer, Keifer came into this internship excited for the opportunity to help other junior golfers achieve their goals.

As a player services intern, Keifer manages dozens of phone calls from parents and players daily. When asked what has challenged her the most, Keifer replied “My people skills. Knowing what happens before and after a tournament and all that goes into it, knowing why and what people are frustrated about has allowed me to deal with these instances much better.”

To learn more about the various AJGA Internship opportunities, please checkout the AJGA Careers page!