By Jeff Day

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (August 8, 2011) -- Five years ago, Ellen Gyapong couldn’t have told you the meaning of the word “golf,” because five years ago, Ellen Gyapong wasn’t even in this country. Originally from the west African nation of Ghana, Gyapong now resides in White Plains, N.Y., is an avid golfer, and has been a participant in the MGA’s GOLFWORKS student intern program at Metropolis Country Club in White Plains since 2009.

Gyapong graduated from Woodlands High School in 2010 as a member of the National Honor Society and boys’ varsity golf team. She has completed her freshman year at the State University of New York at Morrisville, where she is studying nursing. “I hope to work in a hospital as a registered nurse,” said Gyapong. “But I’m also thinking about pursuing abachelor’s degree to become a nurse practitioner.”

Her career plans ultimately won’t place her in the golf industry, but Gyapong’s experience working at Metropolis has prepared her for college and her eventual career. “I learned to work well with others,” she said. “To take responsibility for myself, but I also learned how to respond to people and how to communicate with both the members and my co-workers.”

In 2010, Gyapong was the MGA Foundation’s Gene Borek GOLFWORKS scholar, which is named in honor of the late, longtime head golf professional at Metropolis, who was a great supporter of the MGA Foundation and GOLFWORKS. In May, Gyapong volunteered her time to the MGA Foundation during its 17th Annual Day of Golf Outing, a fundraiser that supports GOLFWORKS. This year’s event was held at The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Conn., where Gyapong spoke to more than 100 supporters at the reception about how vital GOLFWORKS has been to her success as a student, worker and individual.

Gyapong, 19, moved to the United States five years ago and lives in White Plains with her father, stepmother and five of her six siblings, whose ages range from 14 to 30 years old. Her mother and oldest sister still live in Africa.

“I came to the United States because of the many opportunities I heard about,” she said. “It was hard to adapt to the environment, but I was able to because I got myself involved in many activities, like golf and clubs at school, and the teachers at Woodlands were very willing to help me adjust.”

Gyapong had no clue what golf was when she moved to her new home. “I came here and I wanted to try new things, which is how I got into golf,” she said. Gyapong played on the Woodlands varsity golf team, which is how she found out about the MGA Foundation’s GOLFWORKS program. While SUNY Morrisville does not have a golf team, she still participates and plays on a club team and hopes to play the game for the rest of her life.

Metropolis has embraced Gyapong as an employee, and she has embraced Metropolis members and co-workers as a second family. “They are all nice people,” she said. “The members and my co-workers take an interest in me and my golf game and they made sure I was doing what I was supposed to do and that I was enjoying what I was doing. I’ve realized that it’s fun to work, it’s fun to play golf and it’s just fun being there.”

It’s not all fun, Gyapong had to work, too, but according to Assistant Professional Rob Gable, she was the consummate employee. “Ellen was the best intern we could have ever asked for,” said Gable. “She did everything we asked her to do—and more. She would arrive to work early and worked non-stop until the minute she clocked out.”

Gyapong also had an opportunity to play at Metropolis on designated employee days. Despite working close to 40 hours per week, she was able to improve her game. “I always watch the members when they’re practicing and many of them like to talk to me or show me how to swing,” she said. “So I learned from them and I also learned from the lessons I took from the pros here and I learned that taking lessons can make a big difference in sharpening my game.”

So what does Gyapong like most about working at Metropolis? “Being able to help the members,” she said. “Saying hello, cleaning the range for them, carrying their bags and even talking to them about their game and equipment. I talk to all of them and some have even given me advice about going to college and they all encourage me to play whenever I can.”

Not only did the membership take in interest in Gyapong, but they directed her to the Westchester Golf Association to apply for a scholarship, and for her superior academic record and strong commitment to public service, she received the 2010-'11 WGA HSBC Named Scholarship. “I have to thank the WGA and HSBC because they were willing to help me pursue my interests and goals in nursing,” she said. “If it wasn’t for them, I would have been going to community college because I wouldn’t have the money to go to a state school and have the experience of living away from home as a college student.”

Gyapong carries an impressive grade point average of 3.80 at SUNY Morrisville, where in addition to her studies she tutors both biology and psychology and was accepted into the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society. When she is back in Westchester she also volunteers at White Plains Hospital, where she was nominated as its Most Outstanding Volunteer in 2010, and was the recipient of a scholarship from the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs for the 2010-11 academic year.

Gyapong’s willingness to help is even more apparent with her advice to fellow youngsters, “I’d like to encourage anybody in high school that has an interest in or wants to play golf to take advantage of the opportunity of the GOLFWORKS program,” she said. “It has really taught me a lot and I can’t thank Metropolis and the MGA enough.”