“THE GLOBAL STUDIES MAJOR HAS PUSHED ME TO UNDERSTAND MY ROLE AS A WOMAN IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD.”
Creating her own Legacy
Selected as the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Sportsmanship Award winner and Most Valuable Golfer by the MIAA Golf Coaches this past fall, along with being the season medalist and All-MIAA First Team, Mary Kate Boyce ’11 is hardly an underachiever.
Boyce has shown her skill both on and off the golf course— she has made honors as a business administration major—during her time here. Julie Schroeder-Biek, director of Saint Mary’s Athletics, says, “I am incredibly proud of how Mary Kate represents Saint Mary's athletics and academics. She has demonstrated not only incredible skill on the course, but she is also one of the most respected golfers in our league for her sportsmanship.”
Mary Kate comes from a long line of Saint Mary’s Belles, being the fifth sister in her family to attend Saint Mary’s. Even though the last name may be well-known on campus, Mary Kate has paved her own way here on the golf course. She tried out for the Saint Mary’s golf team the spring of her sophomore year and has been playing for the Belles ever since, believing that it was a great decision to return to the game that she loved.
Her passion for the sport began when golfing with her dad as a young girl and pursuing it throughout high school. Mary Kate decided that she did not want to play golf her first year, but by the time spring of her sophomore year rolled around, she realized how much she missed the game. She was excited to return to this part of her life because she “knew what it is like to not have golf in my life.”
The Saint Mary’s golf team is nationally-ranked, and it’s because of committed Belles like Mary Kate, who represents herself well on and off the course. Mark Hamilton, Saint Mary’s golf coach, says “Mary Kate has that rare combination of humility and competitive drive. Her sportsmanship is reflected in the respect she has for her opponent, but it doesn't lessen her desire to win. Her goal is to be the best player in college golf and she is on her way to realizing that goal.”
Her favorite golf team memory would be shooting a 66 in Arizona this year which is her lowest score, while the team as a whole held their lowest team record there as well. She has enjoyed her team of eleven Belles, two of whom are seniors, including herself. She plans to golf recreationally after graduation and may see coaching golf in her future. She is currently applying for marketing and finance positions in downtown Chicago, because she wants to remain near family.
— Julie McGrail ’12