Infectiously Energetic With Kassidy Powell
Kassidy Powell
2nd Assistant Superintendent
Contra Costa Country Club Pleasant Hill, CA
Q: When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up and please explain if there was a story around that.
A: Growing up, I honestly didn’t have a specific career path in mind. When I was in elementary school, I had the idea of becoming a veterinarian. That ended when I found out that I would have to put the animals down. By the end of high school, I started feeling this strong urge to find a career path that was going to keep me outside. Sitting in the classroom all day drained me, and I knew that office life would not be something that could make me happy. I spent a lot of my time growing up outside with my dad, who taught forestry classes at Penn State. I knew that Penn State’s College of Agriculture would have a path to an outside career. When I eventually got into turfgrass, it didn’t take me long to recognize that I was where I needed to be.
Q: What/Who got you interested in the business of agronomy and what was your first experience with the industry?
A: As I mentioned before, my dad worked for Penn State as a forestry educator, and while forestry doesn’t necessarily fall under the umbrella of agronomy, I would not be where I am without him. Following my dad around in the woods as a kid helped establish a reverence and a deep respect for nature, and that’s something I felt connected with again when I took my first turfgrass job. I moved to Indianapolis to work at a golf course, and while I had no idea what I was getting myself into initially, it felt right. There is something so inherently peaceful about being outside, especially in the early morning, it makes me feel the same wonder and respect I felt as a kid with my dad in the woods. I’ve been in the industry for over three years now and I still feel excited at sunrise every day.
Q: What did it mean to you to receive the Troon Scholarship as part of your college experience?
A: I paid for my college education with my own money. Receiving the Troon Scholarship in my second to last semester was, without a doubt, one of the biggest highlights of my college experience. The scholarship allowed me to take a deep breath because I knew that I was financially going to make it through my degree. Money has always been one of my biggest stressors, so to get selected for a scholarship that would finish paying for my final year was huge.
Being a scholarship recipient made Troon more important to me when it came to choosing a job. I was at the 2023 GCSAA Golf Show in Orlando when I was introduced to several Troon higher-ups who wanted to know who I was as a person because they never got to meet scholarship recipients. They weren’t focused on trying to recruit me to work for the company, they wanted to know who I was outside of turf and that made a huge impression on me. I initially had wanted to work at a Top 100 club after graduation, but Troon’s scholarship and the sense of community I felt at the golf show made me rethink my plan. I can honestly say I have no regrets in making that change.
Q: What do you do in your daily job or life to inspire other women or minorities to get them interested in turf management and the agronomy business as a career?
A: My friends and I started a podcast, On Our Turf. We’re the first turfgrass discussion podcast, and the only turf podcast run wholly by women. Our goals with this podcast are to create a place to have uncomfortable conversations, educate, and talk about what we go through in our day-to-day lives. The ratio of men to women in the turfgrass industry is a wild one- 98:2, but there still aren’t enough people to cover the open positions. I want to see more of everyone entering the industry, and I believe On Our Turf is an excellent resource to guide interested candidates to know what could be ahead of them. When I started in the industry, I had no idea what to expect in terms of associates, the work, or even the environment. I’m the kind of person that loves a challenge so none of that fazed me, but I believe that to encourage different demographics into this industry, they should know what to prepare themselves for. I like knowing that I can use the good and bad experiences I’ve had this far as guidance for others. On Our Turf is something that I feel passionate about because we have only been public with the podcast for a few months and already the feedback we are receiving makes me feel like we’re doing it right.
Q: What is one interesting fact you don’t mind sharing that not many people know about you?
A: When my friends come to my apartment, I really like to cook meals for us to sit down and eat together before we launch into whatever adventure is next. I enjoy cooking as much as I enjoy eating and it makes me feel great to give my friends and family a whole experience in the form of food. The best thing I’ve made recently were chocolate waffles- 10/10 recommend for something quick and sweet.
Link to Powell’s On our Turf podcast: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/on-our-turf-on-our-turf-XTmD4WdCl2i/