As recently as early March, Michelle Edwards, Ouimet Fund Director of Scholarships, had more than a dozen locations scheduled and over 150 interviewers lined up for one of the most important programs on The Fund’s calendar, the Ouimet Scholar applicant “in-person” interviews.
“This process is important to The Fund’s mission. Our donors and supporters look forward each spring to the in-person interviews, and it is the best opportunity for the scholars applicants to allow themselves to shine,” said Michelle. “Cancelling this great tradition for 2020 was very difficult, but due to the pandemic outbreak, it was the only option.”
The Ouimet Scholarship Committee quickly decided that physically meeting with applicants this spring was not possible. However, it did not mean they could not be “seen”. The 151 first-time Ouimet Scholarship applicants we asked to send in videos in which they answered many questions typically asked during the interview. While this format was not what each applicant expected when the process began, they were flexible and receptive, and managed to send in videos that were as impressive as the traditional face to face interviews. Applicants spoke in great detail about Mr. Ouimet and his legacy in the game of golf. They shared their scholastic and athletic achievements, and commented on what the game of golf means to them personally and how a Ouimet Scholarship would change their lives. While the application process is still ongoing, we look forward to sharing many of the highlights from the 2020 Scholar Interviews in the near future!
If you have any questions related to the Ouimet Scholarship interview process or would like to be an interviewer in 2021, please reach out to Michelle Edwards, Director of Scholarships at Michellee@ouimet.org!