NOVA
Chronicles
Hours of Operation: Monday–Wednesday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday–Sunday Closed
July 2019
MY FIRST SUMMER JOB Caddying at Oak Hill Country Club
down-to-earth, nice guy. I also caddied for the country music star Darius Rucker and for the basketball coach at Syracuse University, Jim Boeheim.
The first summer job I ever had was working as a caddy at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. I was around 14 years old, and it was my job to help the golfers in any way I could, including carrying their clubs, handing them a club when they needed it, cleaning the clubs, and anything else that helped them play better. The interesting thing about working at this particular country club was that it was an exclusive one. It was one of the best jobs I could have had at that age. It paid very well, and the people who ran the club let me and the other caddies go golfing on the course every Monday. Since I had been golfing since I was about 5 years old, it was my teenage dream job. My best friend, Steve (who also caddied), and I made sure we were out on the beautiful field every Monday to golf all day in a place we wouldn’t have had the chance to play on otherwise. It was one of my favorite summer jobs I ever had. The job also gave me a lot of opportunities to meet people I might not have ever known. In the Rochester area where I grew up, many of the very wealthy people belonged to Oak Hill Country Club. When I worked there, I met all kinds of well-known, interesting, and kind people. For instance, I’m sure many of you know the Wegmans grocery chain; it originated in my hometown, and while I was working at the club, I met the owner, Danny Wegman. I had the opportunity to caddy for him, and he was a really
Meeting people like Wegman, Rucker, and Boeheim and talking with them helped me a lot, especially from a business perspective. By having those opportunities to speak with these men, I learned how to communicate with other people. When you meet someone famous or wealthy, you might think they wouldn’t want to talk to you. I know I felt that way as a kid, but they were all very willing to engage in a conversation with me. I was able to reach out to them and have full- blown discussions with them about a variety of topics, most of which included golf. Since I had been golfing for almost a decade at that point, it was always a great common topic to start with. The people I met on the course helped build my confidence in talking to a variety of people. Looking back at this summer job, I really appreciate everything it gave me. Being able to reach out to people is a huge part of my career as a chiropractor, and I’m very thankful for what I experienced and learned back when I was a kid.
-Dr. Todd P. Sullivan
NovaChiroWellness.com
(703) 912-7822
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