University of North Carolina Athletics
My Carolina Experience: Elizabeth Mallett
August 14, 2014 | Women's Golf
My Carolina Experience: Elizabeth Mallett
By Zoya Johnson, GoHeels.com
Elizabeth Mallett was a three-time national golf champion in England at the U15, U16 and U18 level. She also earned multiple England junior caps before perusing a collegiate career. As Mallett enters her junior year at Carolina it is funny to think that UNC was not even an option until two days before she was to sign her National Letter-of-Intent.
After taking visits to two schools in the United States, Mallett and her mother sat in the airport tired and ready to return home. It was there that Mallett's mother informed her that she had gotten an email from Jan Mann, head coach of the UNC women's golf team, expressing interest in the young golfer.
Mallett's initial reaction was one of dismay as she did not feel she could handle visiting another school. Thanks to the contact she had with Coach Mann in the following days, Mallet felt confident enough to make the decision to sign at UNC without an official visit.
Initially, she had simple goals like settling in at Chapel Hill and coming to grips with an American lifestyle. Mallett remembers the culture shock of language differences and everything being so big. She had even more to take in when it came to balancing being on the team with being a University student. Mallett had to adapt to a different style course schedule, a significantly difference climate, and an intense practice schedule. On top of all of this, she went from class sizes of 16 in her English schools to lectures with as many as 400 students.
The combination of all of these things left Mallett feeling like she was struggling and frankly, very overwhelmed. It was her Carolina coaches and teammates who really aided with her acclimation and made the process of settling in not only bearable but enjoyable. Once she came to grips with her new environment, Mallett was able to discover the charm of campus and the South as a whole.
Eventually Mallette set new goals of not just acclimating herself to her environment learning to thrive in it. She has now made it a point to do everything she can to become a successful golfer, not only during college but afterwards as well. "Now, after graduation I hope to stay in the U.S. and pursue my golfing dreams. I hope to live here. I have fallen in love with the Southern lifestyle and the perfect weather. "
Mallett has made a name for herself on the golf course with a 74.00 scoring average in her sophomore year and 75.00 average in her freshman year. The process has solidified her love for the game of golf and allowed her to become more confident in her abilities; "Competing in U.S. college golf tournaments has made me realize that golf is definitely what I want to do. Having stumbled across my major, communications, after taking COMM 120 (Interpersonal relationships), I have become very interested in organizational communication and hope to work in this field within golf when my playing days are over."
Mallett's seasons as a Tar Heel thus far have earned her a spot on the England Women's Golf Team which participated in the European Women's Team Championships in July 2014. She was as one of only six amateurs to be invited to participate in the tournament and the opportunity allowed her to earn her first senior cap.
Away from the golf course, Mallett has found great satisfaction in her participation with the Baddour Carolina Leadership Academy and in volunteering with her team for community service projects. After completing CREED as a first year, she decided to continue participation with the BCLA in her sophomore year as a CREED Mentor and has loved the opportunity it has given her to give the same guidance she craved as an incoming freshman.
"Being part of the Carolina Leadership Academy has taught me how to interact with people in order to get the best out of them, which is something you have to do every single day. It has also given me the opportunity to interact with athletes from other sports and make friendships that I will keep forever."
Through her team and the athletic department's outreach programs, Mallette has also been able to participate in community service that has not only touched the lives of those it aimed to benefit but hers as well. "With my team we have helped with Habitat for Humanity, and we have participated in fundraisers like Relay for Life and 5k events. I enjoy doing these things as a team because it really feels like we are giving something back."
"I volunteered to go to the Burn Center at UNC Hospitals and visit some patients. A number of athletes from various teams went along. For me this was an eye-opening experience. It made me realize how putting a smile on someone's face can really impact them. It was also very humbling."
Through the experience that Mallett has had thus far she has not only matured as a golfer but also as a person. "Being at Carolina has helped me become more independent and it has helped me find my areas of interest and work out what I want to do. UNC has given me so many opportunities that I never would have had, and I will be eternally grateful for. I cannot wait to start my junior year and find out where the next adventure will take me."
Players Mentioned
