University of North Carolina Athletics
I'm A Tar Heel: Maia Schechter
March 5, 2015 | Women's Golf
Tar Heels Far and Wide,
Although I am not by birth a Tar Heel (a North Carolina native that is), I am a Tar Heel by choice. The second I stepped onto this campus for my unofficial visit as a recruit, I knew this was where I wanted to go. My first visit was in the fall, right when the leaves were starting to change and it was by far the most beautiful campus I had visited. I remember walking through The Pit and thinking how much I wanted to be a part of the commotion and excitement. I have come a long way since that day and the journey has been amazing.
One of the main reasons I chose to come to Carolina was the friendliness and quality of the family I was invited to join. There is also a certain connection you have with other athletes. You know the lifestyle they lead and the types of challenges they are facing. You also know that they have a passion like yours and they have worked hours and hours to get the opportunity to represent Carolina. There is a certain pride in being an athlete; you don't just attend the University of North Carolina, you get the opportunity to represent this university everyday. You know that your actions don't just reflect on you, but that they reflect on the university as well.
One of my best experiences here at Carolina was during my sophomore year when the team won three consecutive tournaments during our fall season. We won our first tournament at the NCAA fall preview site. Our second was our home tournament, which we hadn't won for about 30 years. Then finally we won the tournament hosted by UCF. This was an amazing experience because we proved that the first win wasn't luck, the second win wasn't just home court advantage and then the third that we could do it again.
People always say to enjoy your time in college because it goes by so quickly. They weren't kidding. My time at Carolina has been too short and nothing but amazing. I have to thank the Rams Club and its donors for making this all possible. My scholarship donors have given me the opportunity to excel and work on not just my golf game, but even more importantly my studies and also my self as a person. With that being said, I am excited to enter the next phase of my life, and to pursue my dream of professional golf. But I will always have my Carolina family with me wherever I go in the world.
I will forever be a Tar Heel!
Maia Schechter, UNC Women's Golf
![Images from the first round of the 2026 Gators Invitational on Friday, March 6, 2026 at Mark Bostick Golf Course at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. [Photo by Matt Pendleton Photography for North Carolina Tar Heels Athletics]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Func.sidearmsports.com%2Fimages%2F2026%2F3%2F7%2F260306-NCAAWGOLF-UNC-GatorsInvitational-0828-MattPendleton_copy.jpg&height=340&type=webp)
Players Mentioned
