Lily Patel, a dedicated student-athlete and a committed golfer, is spending her gap year at the Matt DeJohn Golf Academy in Palm City, FL, preparing for her next journey at Bucknell University. She announced her commitment via Instagram on Oct. 14 and intends to study business.
For Patel, golf was always the main focus growing up despite participating in tennis, gymnastics and swimming. Her dad introduced the sport to her and her younger sister Mila when Lily was just five years old, playing with plastic clubs in their living room or backyard.
Following her graduation at WHS, Patel planned to take a gap year in order to get her average score down, since she’s young for her grade, only turning 18 a couple months ago.
Patel said, “It made sense for me to just take the extra year to improve and work on my game and try and get new opportunities and reach out to new schools.”
While taking a gap year gave her the opportunity to explore options, she found her place very quickly during her recruitment process.
“I was talking with Bucknell, and then I pretty much knew that I wanted to go there,” said Patel. “So, honestly, the recruiting process was really short during my gap year, but now it’s pretty much just training and the pressure is off, which is nice.”
Her choice ultimately came down to finding a place where she could thrive both on the course and in the classroom.
Patel said, “My biggest priorities in finding a school are that I want to get a balance between athletics and academics, and so Bucknell stood out with that.”
Bucknell University is located in Lewisburg, PA, and has around 3,975 students attending the school. Bucknell’s golf team is in the NCAA Division I and competes in the Patriot League. Last season, Bucknell set new 18-hole, 36-hole and 54-hole team scoring records, marking multiple program milestones.
With her commitment locked in, Patel has shifted her focus to preparation at Matt DeJohn Academy. Patel’s day consists of training from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and tournaments usually on weekends, playing around two to three times a month.
Patel has shown her dedication and talent as a Blue Devil, winning four consecutive county championships, and looks to continue her success at Bucknell.
