Internship is “Hole in One” for Linn Andersson
June 29, 2022
Contact: Rhonda Jessup, Director of Public Relations
MOUNT OLIVE – For as long as she can remember, Linn Andersson, of Sweden, has wanted to be a world-famous golfer. Growing up near a golf course meant Andersson could cycle there directly after school and spend the remaining daylight hours honing her skills.
“Playing golf at such a young age was very unusual,” Andersson said. As a result, she had very few friends her age. Rather, she spent most of her time at golf competitions, camps, training events, and anything golf related. “I loved getting to know new people. Even though most of them were adults with children my own age,” she said.
When Andersson was just 15, she lost her mother to cancer. Understandably, Andersson’s life was turned upside down. To cope, she took a break from the sport she loved. “I went to psychologists every week and was away from school a lot,” she recalled. “I chose to spend my time with my closest friends and family, as I found my way back to myself.”
Andersson gradually found her way back to herself and to golf. When it was time to apply to college, she and her dad traveled to America, to the pickle capital of the world, where they visited the University of Mount Olive (UMO). “It all came about in 2018 when I was in Sweden playing at the Scandia Tour Elite Golf Competition,” she said.
It was at the competition that Andersson met Johanna Andersson, a UMO student and member of the Trojan Women’s Golf Team. “Johanna spoke highly of the University,” Andersson recalled. “I got a little thirsty, and a few weeks later, I had a zoom session with the UMO Golf Coach.”
Andersson was understandably nervous about traveling such a long distance from home. “Having to learn an entirely new culture felt scary,” she admits. “But, I also felt that UMO was right for me due to the small school and the family atmosphere.”
Andersson enrolled in UMO’s business management program. A year and a half later, she switched her major to sports management. “It has been a perfect choice for me, and I have developed enormously,” she stated.
As part of the sports management curriculum, students are required to complete an internship during their last year in the program. This summer, Andersson is interning with the Swedish Golf Association headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Her main responsibilities are club and player support.
“Most days consist of meetings, training, and development,” she observed. “At the Swedish Golf Association, we are at the ‘top of the chain’ and work to facilitate and help with any golf-related problems. It can be anything from someone wanting to start playing golf, helping a golfer improve a handicap, or assisting clubs with GIT (golf information technology), the system used by all Swedish golf clubs.”
Andersson indicated that much of her work is done in group settings. “Collaboration is a big part of this organization,” she shared.
For Anderson, the experience has been a dream come true. “I have played golf my entire life and I love being in that environment. Interning with the Swedish Golf Association has been a dream for me as I am gaining an understanding and a greater insight into what I want to do in the future, which is to help golfers in some way.”
Andersson is on track to graduate from UMO in August with her bachelor’s degree in sports management.
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University is sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.
