Harriton Class: 2011
College: Florida Gulf Coast University '15
Occupation: PGA Assistant Golf Professional
Place of Work: The Country Club in Brookline, MA and Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, FL
Drew is currently a PGA Assistant Golf Professional at two of the top clubs in the country - The Country Club in Brookline, Massachuessetts in there spring, summer and fall, and Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach Florida in the winter. After two years playing for Harriton, during his junior year he received a scholarship from the David Leadbetter Academy so he moved to Florida to take advantage of the opportunity. He then double majored in Professional Golf Management and Resort and Hospitality at Florida Gulf Coast University. While in school he completed internships at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, Calusa Pines Golf Club and Maidstone Club.
When we asked Drew what he would like to tell current and future Harriton golfers, he had this to say, "Many challenges and obstacles arise during the course of our lives, and most people are afraid to do things because they are afraid they are not good enough/afraid of failure. You need to learn to love fear, and use it to your advantage. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, this is how we learn. Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.”
When we asked Drew about why he chose the golf industry he had this to say, “Each and every day we have the opportunity to impact someone’s day in a positive way and make them happy. It’s a special feeling to be around the two things I love the most; golf and people. If you truly enjoy helping and being around people and you love golf, this is a wonderful industry to work in. It is an amazing feeling when you can go to your job each and every day and it does not feel like “work”.
When asked what the greatest thing he learned was in his early days after his time at Harriton, he said this, "Remember happiness doesn’t depend on who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think” – Dale Carnegie.
Harriton Class: 1981
College: College of Wooster '84
Occupation: PGA Head Golf Professional
Place of Work: The Country Club in Brookline, Massachussetts
Brendan Walsh has been the head professional at TCC since 1998. The Country Club has hosted three U.S. Opens (1913, 1963, 1988), six U.S. Amateur's (1910, 1922, 1934, 1957, 1982, 2013), the 1999 Ryder Cup, and will play host of the 2022 U.S. Open.
When we asked Brendan what he would like to tell current and future Harriton golfers, he had this to say, "Take pride not in yourself but in the work you do. Be a leader, be disciplined, appreciate everything you have, don’t get wrapped up in yourself, be an others-centered person, have a good sense of how you carry yourself, listen a lot, talk a little, put the phone down, appreciate every opportunity, be transparent, don’t embarrass the program, you represent your parents, families, Harriton high school, your coaches, and your country club. Your influence goes far wider than you think. Consistency and transparency will take you far in life!"
When asked what the greatest thing he learned was in his early days after his time at Harriton, he said this, "The simple things, making eye contact with people, learning how to shake a hand, how to greet somebody, how to make people feel good."
Harriton Class: 1990
College: Villanova University '94
Occupation: Chief Financial Officer
Place of Work: Summit Medical Group
During his time in the Harriton Ram Golf Program, Rob went to the PIAA State Championships all four years. Rob then went on to play for Villanova University on a partial golf scholarship. He has since embarked on a successful career in the accounting and finance world. Rob continues to play golf...good golf. He plays on the Golf Channel Amateur Tour, having qualified for the tours national championship, in which he placed 17th out of 100 golfers.
When we asked him about what he has learned in life, business and golf, he had this to stay, "There isn't much about my post-college life that hasn't been influenced by golf. My first job came from somebody my Villanova coach knew. Through golf, I've connected with so many people, it has opened up many doors and made many introductions in several aspects of my life. I would also like to say that golf humbles you and creates a drive inside of you. Just like a golf club, your life is going to involve a lot of tweaking and experimenting to discover your skill-set and you should be open to that. Try different things, be open to the curve balls life is going to throw you. In golf, enjoy other peoples progress in the game, and it's the same in life and business, enjoy their progress. Also, prepare yourself for opportunities, be ready for the future, this is largely done through continuing education. Golf has also taught me a lot about respect for people and etiquette. Build a solid foundation of respect, integrity, continuing education, and you will get chances from people. When you get those chances, be ready for them. The other thing I would say is to learn how to rebound from setbacks. Golf taught me a lot about putting a "triple-bogey" behind me and not letting it have a negative affect on where I am now and where i'm going. Learn from it and move on with patience."
Harriton Class: 1982
College: University of Miami
Occupation: Founder & President
Place of Work: Deacom, Inc.
Before coming to Harriton, Jay was actually recruited as an 8th grader at Welsh Valley, and he played for the Harriton team for technically a fifth year during that time (when that was allowed)! Jay is a four-time Harriton player of the year. Jay played golf for the University of Miami for a few years. In 1995, he founded in his own basement, Deacom, Inc., a software company, and has been President ever since. Today, Deakins continues to grow his Chesterbrook-based company. He currently resides in Devon, PA and he spends his spare time playing golf at St. David’s Golf Club, running, flying his airplane, and spending time with his wife and three kids.
When asked what he would tell current and future Harriton golfers, he had this to say, “Two things: Hard work and integrity. Golf is very much a game that teaches these two things. It’s a game of honesty in which you’re responsible for calling a penalty on yourself. This translates to life. Also, one of the things my father always drove home to me is, “You’re not always going to play well, but you’re going to be a gentleman” and I’ve really tried to embody that in my life. I would also like to give a thought about those nine-hole matches you play! They teach you how to win. The nine-hole matches require you to be sharp from the get-go and finish well too. It’s a quick in and out. That’s nine less holes to make mistakes and still have a chance to recover from them. I’ve experienced this same thing in my businesses, learning how to start well, hold it together, and finish strong in a short period of time. Finally, my philosophy in business has been “Do what you want, how you want to do it.” There is a Chinese saying that corroborates this, “Eat when hungry, sleep when tired.” I want to be able to eat when i’m hungry and I want to be able to sleep when I’m tired. What you do in between will dictate those luxuries and I’ve found that going the entrepreneurial route has given me an opportunity to enjoy those luxuries. Best of luck to you all!"
Harriton Class: 1972
College: Haverford College
Occupation: Vice Chairman
Place of Work: Palace Sports & Entertainment (Owner of the Detroit Pistons)
After graduating from Harriton and University of Michigan Law, Arn Tellem became a sports agent and from 1981 to 2015, represented some of the most high profile NBA and MLB athletes such as Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, Jason Giambi, Nomar Garciaparra and many others. Tellem has been ranked by several publications as one of the fifty most influential people in the sports business. He has been kind to give us an interview and here are some things he would like to tell you about life, leadership and career-building.
We asked him for some advice on those first few years out of college, when young adults begin the process of finding where they fit in the world not just as a business-person, but also as a man or woman, and he had this to say, "Find a mentor who will treat you as an equal and is really interested in what you have to say. As far as careers go, it doesn't matter if you're the smartest person in the room: If you're not someone who people want to be around, you won't get very far. After graduating from Michigan law school, I landed a job at the Los Angeles firm where Steve Greenberg, son of my Baseball Hall of Fame hero, practiced sports law. No matter how small the job, I attacked every task with energy and passion. I wanted to make sure no one at the firm was working harder than me. Steve took notice and gained respect for me because of this. That mentorship has turned into a lifelong friendship to this day."
When we asked him if he were in a room filled with young high school students and he could tell them one thing, what would it be? He had this to say: "Talent is irrelevant. What counts is perseverance, application, industry, assiduity, will, will, will, desire, desire, desire."
When we asked him to share his perspective on leadership based on his unique experiences, he had this to say, "A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves."
