Every month, we are interviewing one of the young men in our After School program. This month we meet 9th-grader Mark Jones.
Mark Jones with STEM Program Co-Leader Veeshan Narinesingh.
Tell us about your family and other important people in your life.
I live in Harlem with my grandmother and my sister. My great-grandmother lives in our apartment building. My mom and my baby sister (8) live in Florida. The most important people in my life are my baby sister, my father, and my mom.
What is your favorite subject in school, and why?
My favorite subject is math because it helps me in real life with things like counting money. Graphing is something I have found to be interesting. When I first started graphing, it wasn’t clicking in my head. In the 8th grade, I stayed after school for more help with math, and my teacher helped me understand it more.
What do you want to be when you grow up, and why?
A lawyer or a doctor because I like helping people, and both of those are careers that let you do that. They also make a fair amount of money.
What is your favorite part of what we do at The Bridge Golf Foundation? How do you think it will prepare you for the future?
Golf is my favorite part of the program. When I first started, to be honest, it was kind of boring. Once I got the hang of it, though, golf became more exciting. In the future, golf could also help me get into a better college.
Besides golf, what other sports do you enjoy playing? Do you have a preference between playing individual or team sports?
Basketball. I like to play pick-up games with friends in the park on weekends. Being small helps, because I can get into better places and I’m faster than bigger players. When I was in elementary school, I used to run track. We would go to Randall’s Island to practice at the track there.
What’s the strongest part of your golf game right now?
Probably my full swings. My favorite club is the 8 iron. I like the weight and the feel of it in my hands. I’m also getting better at chipping. I used to hit my chips left or right, but now I chip the ball a lot straighter.
What is your favorite trip since joining the program? We’ve traveled to a lot of great places – The Bridge in Bridgehampton, PGA Championship, USGA Museum and Test Center, City College, Camp Getaway, etc.
I always enjoy going to The Bridge. It motivates me to keep trying in school so that one day I can have a membership at a golf course like that.
What is one fact that nobody in our program knows about you?
When I’m at home, I’m a whole other person. I’m a lot louder. People at the Foundation know me as a quiet person.
We have covered a lot of ground in Character Education/Service Learning this year. Can you give any examples of how it has impacted you as an individual in our program and in your daily life?
When we talked about being a philanthropist and saving money. If I save money, then I can do more things in life and help others. I would like to give back to people who are struggling.