An excerpt from the 2025 Fall issue of the GAP Magazine
By Tony Regina
Ali O’Connor’s phone buzzed. During study hall, of all places.
She didn’t recognize the number. Spam, she thought. Let it go to voicemail.
To her astonishment, friend Brianna Seiwell grabbed the phone and answered.
“She said, ‘It’s Pete Korba from Wyoming Valley Country Club.’ I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. Did I do something wrong in [my high school] match [held at the club]? What’s happening?’” O’Connor, 20, of Newport Township, Pa., said. “[Korba said] I didn’t know you were in school. Call me back after. I have a job opening I think you may be interested in.’”
That opening, pro shop attendant at Wyoming Valley, opened O’Connor’s eyes to the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust. That organization opened a financial door to her college education.
O’Connor, who started at Bloomsburg University this fall, is a Service to Golf recipient. Service to Golf is defined as being employed in club golf operations: bag room, driving range, cart management or pro shop. The Trust started Service to Golf scholarships in 2023.
It is also another Korba phone call that altered O’Connor’s path.
“‘I have a scholarship that I want you to apply for.’ I said, ‘Sure, I’ll do it.’ He kind of threw it at me,” O’Connor, who will major in early childhood education at Bloomsburg, said. “I thought it was just a scholarship. You apply, they send you money. That’s all. I went to my induction ceremony. That’s when I realized [the Trust] was not at all what I thought. I realized there was so much more behind it. This is something I’m going to be a part of. This isn’t just a check I’m getting.”
“Ali is a great fit for us, for the scholarship. It’s a win-win,” Korba, Wyoming Valley’s golf professional, 59, of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., said. “She greets everyone who comes into the pro shop with a smile. She makes it a point to greet you or talk to you before you leave.”
O’Connor vaguely knew Wyoming Valley before joining its staff in April 2023. She attended brunches with Santa and egg hunts with the Easter Bunny as a kid. O’Connor, a Greater Nanticoke Area High School alum, experienced the golf course during matches against Hanover Area Junior Senior High School. A four-year letter winner, she served as captain of the Greater Nanticoke team.
To think high school golf resulted from a deal made with her stepfather, Ryan Amos.
“He got me a set of Top Flite [clubs] for my birthday. It started with the driving range, and golf was here and there until high school,” O’Connor said. “He was offered our head coaching position for my golf team. He said, ‘I’ll do it if you play.’ I might as well.”
O’Connor also followed Amos off the course. From January through June, she worked as a paraeducator at Northwest Area Primary School, where Amos is principal. O’Connor will continue as a substitute teacher in the fall. Her college class schedule provides flexibility for that. Education runs in the family. O’Connor’s sister Kelsi is a third-grade teacher at Northwest Elementary School in Lebanon, Pa. Same school name, different school district.
The teaching trail is clear of debris thanks to the Trust. Even so, O’Connor is accustomed to navigating trails. She spent five years riding horses at Eagle Rock Equestrian Center at Eagle Rock Resort in Hazleton, Pa.
“I immediately fell in love with it,” O’Connor said. “[Horse trainer Kayla Braskie] gave me lessons in return for my help at the barn. It taught me how to work. I was a 13-year-old hauling bales of hay. You took care of the horse, cleaned it, set up tacks. I got into showing horses, competing and volunteering with junior horse camps. I loved the reward of it.”
The stables provided stable working experience, which groomed O’Connor for Wyoming Valley.
“A lot of the members came into the pro shop. It was kind of overwhelming, but I quickly got the hang of it,” she said. “Not too long after I started, we completely switched our [point of sale] system at the club. Everyone else was starting over at the same point I was. I’d like to say that’s what got me comfortable.”
O’Connor oversaw the pro shop three to five days a week this summer. She plans to continue working there during school. Responsibilities include answering phone calls, arranging reciprocals, refreshing tee sheets, organizing outings in Golf Genius and managing retail. O’Connor operates Wyoming Valley’s social media channels (Facebook, Instagram).
“It’s something I excel in,” she said. “A lot of members have noticed a difference. There’s more content being put out.”
The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust assuredly made a difference in O’Connor’s life. It, to her, is more than financial support for her college education. She participates in the EMPOWER program, which supports scholars in career development and community engagement.
“I realized they wanted to make us the best versions of ourselves, to become great people and successful students. I like being a part of something like this. It opened a lot of doors for me,” O’Connor said. “I’m so happy to become a part of something like the Trust. They cared about seeing my face and knowing who I was and what I did. I wasn’t just a name on someone’s screen.”
To think it all started with an unknown phone number on O’Connor’s screen.
