My Journey Through the Midnight Golf Program

By Jordan Hines

The Midnight Golf Program has helped me become more opened minded as a person and as a student. Coming into the program, I only knew a handful of students, mainly those who I go to school with.  With so many new faces and personalities around me, I made it my mission to connect with new people and, to my surprise, I became a part of a new family. Little did I know just how important this new network would be as I transitioned to the next phase of my life.

A New Family

As a student preparing to go to college, I felt set on going to school in the state of Michigan but over the course of the program my views changed. I was exposed to and became interested in schools that I had never would have considered. Of course, none of this happened overnight.  For the first couple weeks of the program, I socialized with people I was familiar with. I would sit in the same area and surround myself with people I see everyday but, through the encouragement of the mentors, one day I decided to branch out. I sat at a table full of kids I had never seen nor interacted with. I introduce myself and from that day on, new relationships began to grow. We would talk about school, Midnight Golf, and the shared challenges of our senior year. MGP really brought us closer together and we realized we were now more than just a group of friends. We are a family. Our bond continues to grow stronger with each passing day, and I know that we have a friendship that will last a lifetime.

Seeing College in a Different Light 

Before joining MGP, I had not really been focused on college. I knew that I was going to college and I had an idea of what I wanted to major in but I was unsure of where I wanted to go. When asked where I wanted to go to college, I would often name a school within the state of Michigan because I was sure that I wanted to stay closer to home. But Midnight Golf has helped me see college in a different way. I learned that you can’t choose a college based on it’s name, reputation, or even proximity to home. Instead I learned that college is what you make out of it and I should choose a school that best fits me. With the help of my mentor, Mr. Coffee, I discovered a college I had never  heard of — Johnson C. Smith University. After visiting the school on the Road Trip For Success, I became really fond of the campus and the atmosphere. So, I applied and shortly after I received a $34,000 scholarship. 

MGP Students during their visit to Johnson C. Smith University on the Road Trip for Success.

MGP has been a safe space and a place for me to meet and connect with people from different schools. I now have a new family that has supported me on my journey through my senior year, help change my perception of college, and will always be there when I need it. I encourage other students to come to this program because it has definitely changed my life for the better. The knowledge and relationships I have developed will lead me to success.

Jordan is graduating from Renaissance High School this June.

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