Page 20 - First Tee - Tampa Bay Alumni Book

Megan Pollenz
First Tee – Tampa Bay
Age: 25
Years in First Tee: 8
College: Embry Riddle Aeronautical University | Global Conflict Studies
What are you doing today?
Currently, I work as an emergency management consultant at one of the prime emergency management firms in the United States, Hagerty Consulting.
What impact did First Tee have on your life?
In all honestly, the biggest impact was learning to be humble but also to take pride in doing well; a double-edged sword
in a way. These two ideas might contradict one another, but they always work in harmony. If you can’t laugh at your own stumbles, how are you able to celebrate your success?
How did First Tee – Tampa Bay equip you to take on new experiences or challenges?
To tackle them straight on. Sometimes the plan you
originally had doesn’t always work out but when that
happens you just need to relax and keep walking forward. First Tee showed me that there are opportunities out there and all I need to do is go after them.
Is there a specific core value or life skill that you learned which has helped you in life?
Perseverance. To keep going. Life isn’t the easiest thing, it loves to throw wrenches at you (doesn’t matter if you can dodge them either). Even when it might seem like everything is falling apart around you, there is a small glimmer of light somewhere in the distance. I’ve had to walk through some heavy moments in my life, and I think about pushing through it all, get through the rough patches to achieve what you want.
Life isn’t the easiest thing, it loves to throw wrenches at you.
18 | FirstTeeTampaBay.org