Discover Maria Beltran ’24's journey as Fairfield’s Women’s Golf Champion! From heartfelt gratitude to cherished memories, get an inside look at her Fairfield experience.
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I would like to thank all of the people involved in the Fairfield Golf Program for making this possible: The Spillane Family, Mr. Vic Pino and his family, Mr. Biff O’Reily, Mr. James Cotter, Mr. Jack Hammond and The Urciuoli Family. All of their contributions to the Golf Program help me and my teammates every day and we are all very very grateful. Another special thank you to Mr. Paul Schlickmann for his hard work in gathering more generous donations and making this program even more successful. I would also like to thank all of the people in the Sports Medicine and Sports Performance team: Marlo and Aaron, thank you for helping me keep my back on track and pain free!
I would like to give an extra thank you to Mr. Vic Pino and his family for all the support. Being able to still practice in our outstanding studio on campus made a huge difference. I think one of my favorite moments of the day, when I needed to decompress, was to go to the studio, put on some music, and hit balls on my own. Thank you, Mr. Pino!
Moreover, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Carmine Urciuoli. He has been mentoring me this past year, and still is, and I am grateful for all of his knowledge and networking opportunities. But most importantly, he shared some wise words with me that really made an impact — “I belong here”. Thank you, Mr. Urciuoli!
I would also like to thank Dr. Kelly Bommer for all her help. Since day one, Kelly has been helping me and answering all of my questions. You made my life a little bit easier. Thank you, Kelly!
I would like to thank my professors, especially Dr. Valeria Martinez and Robert Flug, whose teaching approach made their classes my favorite ones. Learning the content from a more practical perspective was really refreshing and insightful, so, thank you!
What was your favorite memory from this past season?
My favorite memory was, no doubt, our spring Florida trip. It was a great opportunity for me to get closer to my team — both men and women, and to get to know some of the donors that make this program possible. I really enjoyed getting to play in some of the most beautiful courses I have ever played at, and had a little break from the very cold weather in CT. Most importantly, I really enjoyed having that feeling of being a team, a family, and that we all got to share that week together.
What I most enjoyed about being a member of a Fairfield University Athletic team
Definitely having a great Coaching staff. I came to Fairfield after 16 years of playing golf, 4 of those at my previous school, playing highly competitive golf. As much as it hurts my heart to say, none of those 16 years I was having fun playing golf. It wasn’t until I got to know Coach Holub and UNDERSTOOD his philosophy that I finally learned how to have fun playing.
I had a little speech prepared when I got nominated Female Athlete of the Year at the Stags Awards that I would like to share with you:
A couple weeks ago, as I was remembering my college career, I came to this realization:
Coach Joni taught me hard work, responsibility, growing up, and discipline. She taught me what it means to have a dream and how to work tirelessly to achieve it.
Coach Pat taught me the game. I learned so many of my golf skills from him and he made me a better player. He showed me respect and admiration. He taught me how to stay hungry for wins and to always want more.
Coach Carlos taught me kindness. He taught me how to be humble, gracious, and grateful for the opportunities God and life present you. He taught me how to be the bigger person and how to turn the other cheek when you are faced with adversity.
Coach Doug, despite the short period of time together, taught me something even more important: how to have fun. He showed me that it is possible to enjoy your job, and I will be forever grateful because this was the first time in 16 years that I actually had fun playing golf.”
My favorite Fairfield memory was…
Winning the MAAC Championship. More specifically, the moment I had my last putt and I started tearing up because of how proud I was of myself. I always struggled with supporting myself and being able to recognize all the hard work and dedication I put in this year. To be able to win was a nice feeling. The next favorite memory was turning around to see my teammates, clueless of what just happened, and them jumping and hugging me and Juliette yelling “You won!!! You won!!!” I was 100% confused. I will never forget it.
How my experience at Fairfield University influenced my personal, academic, spiritual and/or professional life and perspective
As I said before, this year helped me work on myself from a place of kindness. I have always been really hard on myself, putting a lot of pressure on my results and the quality of my work, both in and out of the course. It got to a point where I started getting annoyed at the sport, and myself. Having the opportunity to learn from Coach Holub, my teammates, and especially Pat Shane and Colin, was really a wake-up call of saying: “Hey, it's not always bad.” “Why don’t you see X from this perspective?” “Maybe you are taking it too seriously.” “Why don’t you set these more realistic and achievable goals?” I grew as a person for sure, but I also learned how to enjoy what I am doing and I think, for me, that is the most valuable learning experience I had.
My plans now that I have graduated are…
My plans for the future are going back home to Barcelona, Spain and spending some time with my dad. Being away from home has had a toll on me and I am excited to have the opportunity to spend more time with my family. As far as professional plans, I am trying to get a job in banking when I officially graduate from my MSF program in August.
