FALL 2017
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Courtesy of ASU
“I came from a small town, so I was
always on a team with my best friends
growing up. Every team I’ve ever been on
has turned into a family,” Vaughn says.
“Playing a team sport has always been
so much more fun than playing as an
individual. You get to share moments and
memories and experiences with people
that you wouldn’t get to if you only played
as an individual.”
As a competitive athlete, Vaughn’s
parents supported her in many
ways, including teaching her about
sportsmanship, even when things didn’t
turn out well.
“My parents always instilled in me how
to win and lose with grace and dignity.
That’s one of the most important things
I ever learned playing sports,” she says.
“Even if you work
your hardest and never
give up in every single
game or every single
tournament, you still
can’t win them all.”
Growing up, Vaughn’s parents also
encouraged her to become well-rounded
by trying different kinds of activities.
Having played volleyball all four years of
high school in addition to golf, she advises
parents of young student athletes to have
them try several different sports.
“I think the best thing a parent can
do for their child is encourage them
to try anything and everything,” she
says. “Playing volleyball in high school
gave me a good break from golf, and
I loved being in a more intense team
atmosphere. Urging kids to try different
sports or activities to help them bring out
their best creative sides is so important, so
they don’t get burned out later in life.”
After winning two state championships
in Oregon, Vaughn selected ASU for
collegiate golf over other suitors because of
the excellent practice facilities and a strong
connection with the coaches, she says.
At the college level, the stakes become
higher for student athletes.They face the
responsibility to represent the university
and compete at a higher level, and must
learn how to balance academics with an
extensive travel and practice schedule.
For Vaughn, the support system of
her parents and her new ASU family
helped her overcome those hurdles.
“Our athletic and academic coaches
at ASU were a really big help to me my
freshman year, when I was trying to get
things sorted out,” she says. “They really
took into consideration my personality
and work ethic and helped me figure out
a good balance.The biggest challenge
was missing so much class time. But after
freshman year, I realized that having
a schedule of half in-class and half
online classes worked best for me.”
Having gone out on top after four years
with Sun Devil Women’s Golf, the national
champion offered advice for young student
athletes making the transition to college.
“Be ready for the
responsibility and to hold
yourself accountable.
There is always, always
time for fun in college, but
there is a time and place.
Being a student athlete
is a privilege, and you
should remind yourself of that every day.”
While a potential pro career lies ahead for
Vaughn in what is considered an individual
sport, it’s the moments with her Sun Devil
golf teammates that she will always cherish.
“My team—and the men’s team, too—
all came out and cheered for us so hard in
that match against Stanford. It gave me
goose bumps,” she says. “When we
played in the finals we were all so
pumped up and cheering for each other
across fairways. We share a bond with
each other for the rest of our lives.”
“My parents always
instilled in me how
to win and lose with
grace and dignity.”
