John Kmitta Associate Publisher / Editorial Brand Director jkmitta @ epgacceleration . com 763-383-4405

I can ’ t believe it is August already . Normally , that wouldn ’ t be a problem . It ’ s summer ! It ’ s warm ! It ’ s relaxing ! But this August is different . That ’ s because this August my oldest child goes off to college .

My wife and I knew it was coming , of course , but that doesn ’ t make it any easier . Our daughter is heading to Iowa State University to pursue a degree in Environmental Science . We couldn ’ t be any prouder of her , but that doesn ’ t do much to lower my anxiety level .

Side note : I don ’ t write about my personal life or family very often in this space , but I ’ ve been writing editor ’ s notes for so long that I actually included news of her birth in one of my columns back in the day . But only a part of my sharing this is to help me cope with the fact that my baby is all grown up .

As I ’ ve worked on our college and university series this year , I have tried not to bore the academic professionals who were kind enough to talk to me about their turfgrass programs with talk about my daughter ’ s college journey .

That said , I feel as though the timing couldn ’ t have been better for me to highlight the great turfgrass programs available to today ’ s college students . It has been enlightening

to discuss the college process with those teaching the next generation , and to hear about the challenges they face and their advice for prospective students .

In going through the college process with my daughter , we faced the hurdles of high school teachers and guidance counselors being unfamiliar with which schools specialize in her area of interest , and online searches that were even more confusing as there are no consensus lists for top schools by major .

She ultimately narrowed it down to a handful of great options . We did the tours , met the representatives , and it was clear from the moment we set foot on campus in Ames that Iowa State was the right choice .

But I know that is not the case for all prospective college students . Deciding on a major – and a career – is daunting at any age , let alone as a teenager . Finding the right academic institution can be challenging . And navigating the college process itself is no easy task .

That is why I am happy to help build those types of resources for the next generation of our audience , and the future of the sports field management industry .

But if I have a few more gray hairs the next time you see me , at least you will know why . SFM

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SportsField Management | August 2023 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com