Emerson (Emme) Speas of Camas, Wash. is one of 23 recent college graduates who have been selected for a 2025-2026 PGA WORKS Fellowship by the PGA of America’s REACH Foundation, the 501c3 charitable foundation of the PGA of America.
Speas graduated in May 2025 from Colorado State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentrations in Organization and Innovation Management and International Business. She will serve as the 9th Sara “Sunny” Harris Hutchinson PGA WORKS Fellow for PGA REACH Carolinas, for the Carolinas PGA Section.
Emme’s journey with golf began during her freshman year of high school. A family friend invited her to the driving range and encouraged her to try out for the golf team. Emme went on to play for the Camas High School Papermakers until her time on the team was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More notably, this is also when she began her first job at Camas Meadows Golf Course. Starting on the cart staff, Emme eventually worked her way up to pro shop attendant, a role she held throughout high school and during some college summers.
After relocating to Colorado for college, she joined the cart staff at a local country club and ultimately landed a pro shop internship at The Olde Course in Loveland, Colo. during the summer before her senior year. This internship gave Emme full exposure to the inner workings of a golf course, from working as a starter and ranger to assisting in the municipal building and gaining a deeper appreciation for the course’s maintenance operations. These hands-on experiences strengthened her love for the game and inspired her to explore how she could make a lasting impact in the industry.
“Last summer, I happened to meet someone who worked for the PGA,” Speas says. “It was a casual conversation, but he was the first person to mention the PGA WORKS Fellowship to me. That moment stuck with me and eventually led to where I am now. Networking doesn’t have to be forced, it can be as simple as showing up, asking questions, and being open to conversations.”
During her time at CSU, Emme served as the 2023 chapter president of her sorority and the 2024 Panhellenic president, two roles that taught her how to lead teams, manage initiatives, and plan community-wide events. Beyond her campus involvement, she worked at local golf courses in Fort Collins, served as a recreation assistant at the CSU Campus Rec Center, and mentored first-year business students as a College of Business Peer Mentor.
“For me, the biggest thing was finding a way to combine my part-time jobs with what I was already passionate about,” she says. “While I was at CSU, I worked at a few different golf courses and at the campus Rec Center. Those jobs gave me hands-on experience in an industry I already knew I wanted to be part of. It made a huge difference when I started applying for jobs, especially with the PGA, because I could speak from experience and really show my interest.”
The PGA WORKS Fellowship, established in 2017, provides the opportunity for a paid immersion in a PGA of America Section’s Foundation operations. PGA Sections oversee the 41 regions of the PGA of America across the United States and help create the network of communication and community for PGA of America Golf Professionals and amateur golfers nationwide.
The PGA WORKS Fellowship is one of the most valuable entry-level opportunities for individuals from all backgrounds to gain experience in the golf industry. The Fellowship gives recent college and university graduates a first-hand look at everything that a career in the $102 billion golf industry can provide.
The primary responsibilities of the 23 PGA WORKS Fellows will be to support and execute philanthropic initiatives for the charitable foundations of their respective PGA Sections. This includes assisting with marketing, communications and fundraising activities, as well as PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) programming for Veterans and junior golf initiatives such as PGA Jr. League and Drive, Chip & Putt.
“We are thrilled to welcome our new class of PGA WORKS Fellows to their respective PGA Sections,” said PGA of America President and Master Professional Don Rea Jr., PGA Owner/Operator of Augusta Ranch Golf Club (Arizona). “Our PGA WORKS Fellowship program isn’t just about opening doors, it’s about equipping the next generation of leaders and ensuring those doors lead to meaningful career paths and lasting connections.”
For more information about the PGA of America REACH Foundation, visit PGAREACH.org.