Jada Richardson, a senior golfer at Wesleyan School was recently named one of Gwinnett Daily Post’s “Super Six”. Listen in to this episode of Peachtree Corners Life to hear all about her incredible journey, the impact of COVID-19, her family and where she draws her inspiration.
[00:00:30] – Intro [00:00:42] – How Jada got into Golf [00:03:36] – Becoming a Successful Golfer [00:04:42] – The Impact of COVID on Golfing [00:05:38] – Family and Golfing [00:06:52] – Drawing Inspiration [00:08:40] – Jada’s Hobbies and Interests [00:11:00] – Closing
“I’m really there just to get better, to better myself. So I’m really just playing the course and then whatever everyone else shoots, you know, it’s kind of there. And I think that’s helped me stay focused on just me and allowed me to compete at a higher level without being too stressed about what everyone else is doing.”
Jada Richardson
Podcast Transcript
Rico: [00:00:30] Hey, this is Rico Figliolini, host of Peachtree Corners Life. I appreciate you guys joining me. Today we have a special guest. Her name is Jada Richardson, senior at Wesleyan high school. Hey Jada.
Jada: [00:00:40] Hi, how are you?
Rico: [00:00:42] Good, good. I appreciate you joining me. So we, you know, Jada is a golfer. She started at a younger age than she is now obviously. And the first time she started, it seems like she didn’t like the game. It was a summer camp at a young age. But she came back to it later. And now she is what Gwinnett daily post has put together as one of the super six in golf in the County. And she plays for Wesleyan school. So, you know, I appreciate you coming on and talking about it because golf is not like soccer, baseball, softball, a lot of kids in those types of sports, basketball. Golf is a really intense type of sport and takes a lot of practice. Just like any sport, I’m sure. But it’s a different type of practice, right? So tell us, tell us actually, when you first got into it and how you felt about it. And then when you came back to it and why you came back to it.
Jada: [00:01:37] Yeah. So my dad originally like signed us up, well, me for a summer camp around like age six or seven-ish at the local golf course around here. So I went there and did like a summer camp. I didn’t really enjoy it too much. I thought it was a little slow paced. I think that was the thing, like, I just kinda wanted to run around a little bit more than golf allowed you to. So I would like go out with him a little bit, but not much. So I didn’t really practice much. And then around seventh grade actually, I moved schools. I moved from the school over here to Wesleyan school. And I knew in high school that I was going to want to play a sport, mostly because I liked the letter jackets. And so I was like, Oh, I want a like letter jacket when I get to high school. So I was like, okay, what can I do? And at that point I knew running was not going to be a thing for me because I like don’t really enjoy running that much. I do for workout stuff, but like, I don’t really enjoy running that much. And then I was going to swim, but I like, that was like, I was just average at that. So I was like, okay, like I could do golf. And so I started taking golf lessons and like going out to practice and I started to really enjoy it. And I loved like getting better and improving and like getting to travel to different golf courses and stuff. I pretty much just stuck it out from there.
Rico: [00:02:49] So you came back to golf, at what you said about 12 or 13?
Jada: [00:02:53] Yeah, probably like 12 or 13 ish.
Rico: [00:02:55] And it’s interesting what you said before about that. It’s a slow paced game. It’s not, I mean, it’s not like soccer certainly or lacrosse where you’re constantly running and you have to keep up. Basketball, same way. I remember when my kids did baseball. I mean, if they were in the outfield, that was slow paced. You’re lucky if you got a ball out there. So, you know, when they were younger, five or six or seven, they were digging in the fields and stuff versus paying attention. So I’m sure that they would not have taken to golf at a young age too. So you’ve, been playing with Wesleyan. You’ve been successful at doing it. Are there certain traits or skills that you think make you successful at it? Or help you to be successful?
Jada: [00:03:36] Yeah, I think probably, I’m really there just to get better. Like better myself. So I’m really just playing the course and then whatever everyone else shoots, you know, it’s kind of there. But I’m always there just trying to like better myself and get better. And I think that’s helped me stay focused on just me and allowed me to like compete at a higher level without being too stressed about what everyone else is doing.
Rico: [00:03:58] Does it matter what, coming not from a golf side because I’m not a golfer, but does it matter what course you’re on? Do you have preferences as far as that goes out there?
Jada: [00:04:09] I like some courses more than I like others. I really like my home course. I play at Laurel Springs, I like that course a lot. And there’s a lot of courses I like. Some of them are just harder than others though, but it doesn’t make too big of a difference.
Rico: [00:04:21] Okay. Do you, when you’re practicing, I mean, mainly it’s on the golf course I would imagine versus anywhere else, right?
Jada: [00:04:28] Yes.
Rico: [00:04:29] But you do running, you do other, do you do other exercises besides that? Do you workout in the gym?
Jada: [00:04:34] I try to, I’ve been trying to work out a little bit more in the gym. So I try to get up in the morning, go to the gym and then come back and go to practice.
Rico: [00:04:42] So during COVID, has it, has anything changed? Has, certainly competition I’m sure at some point changed. But tell us a little bit about that experience.
Jada: [00:04:50] Yeah, at the beginning, when it was like completely shut down and it was a little bit chaotic to say the least. I was supposed to play a tournament actually like, the week everything shut down. And so I was like, I don’t know what’s going on. And then at that time I was trying to be recruited. So like, not being able to play was a little bit stressful because I wasn’t getting to post any tournament scores or anything like that. But I think COVID was actually pretty good for my golf game if I’m being really honest. Like every evening, so I’d get up in the morning and go work out, come back home, take a shower, then I’d go practice. And then in the evening, I’d go out and play with my dad. Like I’d go play nine holes with him in the evening until the sun went down and stuff like that. I thought it was really good for my golf game. Got a lot of practice in. A lot more than I usually would have, especially with me being online for school, because then I can do my schoolwork kind of whenever. So it was kind of helpful, honestly.
Rico: [00:05:38] Interesting. So playing with your dad, how was that? Was he, was he like a good coach or was he a hands-off or how was that?
Jada: [00:05:47] He’s a good coach, yeah. He just normally walks with me. He doesn’t really play that much himself. He would just like walk with me look at things. He goes to a lot of my golf lessons with me, so he’s kind of able to recognize like things in my swing and then short game stuff.
Rico: [00:06:00] Oh, cool. How long is practice usually on golf? I know golf games can go two or three hours. I mean, how long were those practices on the nine hole?
Jada: [00:06:10] Nine hole is only like maybe, it would take us like two hours maybe. I don’t even know if it would take us two, maybe two and a half sometimes if the course was super busy.
Rico: [00:06:19] Do you think your sister, your younger sister wants to get involved in golf now that she’s seen her older sister doing it?
Jada: [00:06:25] No. I don’t think so, no. I think it’s like, like I was saying earlier for me when it was like a little bit slow paced, I think that’s her thing. It’s a little bit slower. And then she just got interested in other things. She’s a lot more artistic than I am. So she’s kinda in that stuff.
Rico: [00:06:41] Okay. Do you have any mentors, or do you, where do you draw your inspiration from? You know, when things are tough or challenging for what you’re doing?
Jada: [00:06:52] Yeah. Probably just like the women on the LPGA. I think they’re super inspiring. A lot of them have different stories about struggles and stuff. So it’s always nice, like, here that they’re not perfect and like their golf journey wasn’t perfect either. So I really enjoy like looking up to them and I love watching the women on the LPGA.
Rico: [00:07:09] Do you listen to any podcasts or watch golf TV or anything?
Jada: [00:07:13] No. I normally watch like golf on the weekend, like Saturday and Sunday I’ll watch. But other than that, no. I’ve listened to actually, I listened to a podcast with Cheyenne Woods and I can’t remember who else. It was like Birdie something. I can’t remember the name of it, but she had one that I listened to for a little bit.
Rico: [00:07:29] Cool. What do you find as one of your biggest accomplishments today?
Jada: [00:07:33] Well, probably right now, just being able to commit to play golf. Do more golf at Howard university. That’s been like super exciting for me. My family and I are like, super excited about that. So that’s been a big accomplishment so far.
Rico: [00:07:46] So signing on to, with Howard university. What are you looking forward to doing there?
Jada: [00:07:51] I’m looking forward to competing against some high level competition and then also just learning from a coach per year and then my teammates as well.
Rico: [00:07:59] Okay. Do you draw from your teammates. Golf is not necessarily a team sport you would think off the bat, but how do you feel about that?
Jada: [00:08:07] Yeah, I think having teammates is awesome, especially during the school season. Cause typically during the summer, I’m just by myself. So it’s great to have teammates during the school season. They’re super encouraging. So I love like getting to hang out with them and then just like simple things like the bus rides are super fun. It just makes golf a little bit more fun and entertaining.
Rico: [00:08:24] Do, do you guys trade tips or advice with each other?
Jada: [00:08:29] A little bit during like practice rounds and we’re going to go walk a course or something and just play before tournament. We might be like, Oh, like, this seems like a smart hole to like lay up here or do different things like that.
Rico: [00:08:40] If you were going to play another sport or if you were gonna play something else more like recreational, what would that be?
Jada: [00:08:46] I really want to learn tennis. That’s like the next thing I want to learn. Yeah. I like really, really want to learn it. I’m trying to get some of my friends to teach me.
Rico: [00:08:54] Yeah, that’s a tough one. I play on and I’m at the lowest scale of talent. Getting that top spin is a little tough.
Jada: [00:09:02] I can imagine.
Rico: [00:09:05] But yeah, that’s cool. That’s and you’re still swinging. You’re still swinging something. What was the toughest swing that you probably, that you had to make sure you did well in golf. You know, versus, let’s say putting or something. Is that, what’s the toughest one of those?
Jada: [00:09:23] Probably, I’m trying to think. Maybe like originally trying to learn to swing my driver was a little bit tougher. It’s just a little bit different cause the motions more up rather than down. So that was a little bit different, but now it’s like one of my favorite clubs, so it’s not too bad. But I think originally trying to learn how to hit my driver was a decent struggle.
Rico: [00:09:40] Right, okay. Do you have I know, you know, in your spare time you do other things like, you like listening to music. Do you have a favorite song or two you want to share?
Jada: [00:09:50] Like my favorite song?
Rico: [00:09:52] Well, who you listen to and what songs are your favorite right now?
Jada: [00:09:56] I really like Adele. And then right now, though, this is not Adele, but I’ve been listening to Levitating by Dua Lipa. And I’ve been kind of obsessed with that song. I probably listen to it every time I get in the car right now.
Rico: [00:10:08] What about reading? Any particular authors or type of genres that you like reading?
Jada: [00:10:12] Not really. I just kinda, whatever people hand me is kind of what I’ll read. I like nonfiction sometimes but fiction’s good as well. Like my favorite book is probably the Catcher in the Rye or or something like that.
Rico: [00:10:23] Cool. And are there any these are just like tidbit things that I ask sometimes about favorite foods.
Jada: [00:10:30] Oh, I really like like Caesar salad and salmon. That’s my favorite.
Rico: [00:10:34] Do you do any protein stuff, anything special diet for athletic?
Jada: [00:10:38] Not really just try not to eat too many sweets and sugars, but no.
Rico: [00:10:43] Any particular movies or streaming services?
Jada: [00:10:45] Probably Netflix, but I honestly don’t watch movies that much, but I use Netflix. We have Netflix.
Rico: [00:10:51] Are you on social media? I’m assuming you’re out there. I mean, do people follow you for the sport and stuff?
Jada: [00:10:56] Yeah, I have an Instagram account. It’s JadaRichardson1.
Rico: [00:11:00] Great. Do, do you have other things you want to share? Do you have something you want to share to any other young athletes? Not necessarily golf, but other athletes that are, you know, young. 12, 13, 14, getting into a sport that you want to share with them? Some advice you want to give them as a mentor, let’s say.
Jada: [00:11:16] Yeah, I think it’s just important to make sure you’re having fun at whatever you’re doing. And I know everyone says that, but like, if you’re not having fun, it’s going to be miserable. So just try to keep it fun and lighthearted. And remember at the end of the day, it’s just a game.
Rico: [00:11:29] You practice, how many hours a week do you practice Jada?
Jada: [00:11:32] Probably like 25 ish, I guess, maybe.
Rico: [00:11:36] So it’s almost like a job. So, you know, you don’t really, you don’t have a part-time job. This is it, right?
Jada: [00:11:42] Yeah. This is, this is a little bit of my part time job right now. Yeah.
Rico: [00:11:46] Do you want to eventually go pro at some point?
Jada: [00:11:49] I’d love to do that, yeah.
Rico: [00:11:51] Okay. So Howard university as far as the school and being part of their team and stuff, what is it that you know, that, that you want to do as far as coursework there? What major, what career path do you think you’d want to go besides pro. In case you can’t get to pro or even people that do pro I mean, what coursework are you doing?
Jada: [00:12:13] So I’ll be majoring in international business. So after that it’d be able to work kind of, I guess, a little bit all over the place. Travel a little bit in business. But my real goal hopefully, is to be able to get that degree and then go to law school after that. So that’s kind of what my focus is. Like, get really good grades and undergrad and then be able to go to a good law school.
Rico: [00:12:32] Excellent. Do you speak a language by the way?
Jada: [00:12:35] No, no. I want to learn Spanish, but no.
Rico: [00:12:38] Alright, cool. Great. Anything else you want to share with us? Anything before we end off this interview?
Jada: [00:12:45] I think that’s it.
Rico: [00:12:46] Alright, good. We’ve been spending time with Jada Richardson with Wesleyan school heading towards Howard university. So we want to wish you well. Wish you good luck, stay safe and be successful. Thank you.
Good Samaritan Health Centers of Gwinnett (Good Samaritan Gwinnett) has received state authorization from the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC) to officially launch Access Academy, a private, certificate-granting, low-cost postsecondary education program targeting students of low-income and/or minority households who aspire to pursue careers in healthcare but may lack the financial means to attend traditional college programs.
Access Academy is designed to meet the needs of students from underserved communities, providing healthcare-specific training at a fraction of the cost, thanks to charitable donations and volunteer-based faculty support.
photo courtesy of Good Samaritan Gwinnett
Access Academy will initially offer a five-month medical assistant certification program. Graduates of the program will be able to enter the workforce without the burden of student loans, directly benefiting their household income and financial well-being.
“We are thrilled to launch Access Academy and open the doors of opportunity for those who need it most,” said Shameka Allen, CEO of Good Samaritan Gwinnett. “Our mission has always been to support underserved communities, and now, with Access Academy, we can extend that impact by helping students earn their medical assistant certificates and get their start in healthcare.”
A history of mentoring and education
Good Samaritan Gwinnett has a rich history of educating undergraduate and graduate students in health sciences. Since 2012, the organization has mentored nearly 450 graduate students pursuing medical and dental professional degrees. The cost of precepting just one midlevel student for an average of 168 hours amounts to $10,038, reflecting the organization’s dedication to training and education.
photo courtesy of Good Samaritan Gwinnett
Greg Lang, chief financial officer of Good Samaritan Gwinnett, spearheaded the efforts to secure state authorization and launch Access Academy.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see Access Academy come to life after months of planning and preparation,” Lang said. “Access Academy is not just providing training — it’s offering hope, opportunity and the support needed to turn dreams into reality.”
An ongoing mission
The launch of Access Academy is part of Good Samaritan Gwinnett’s ongoing mission to expand its reach and make healthcare more accessible, both by providing direct patient care and by equipping future healthcare professionals with the skills they need to succeed. Since Good Samaritan Gwinnett’s inception in 2005, more than 52,300 patients have entered the clinic more than 300,000 times.
Pinecrest Academy, a private preK3–12 Catholic school serving north metro Atlanta, has once again been named to the College Board’s Advanced Placement® Program (AP®) School Honor Roll, earning Platinum distinction.
The AP® School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering results for students while also broadening access. Schools can earn this recognition annually based on criteria that reflect a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit and maximizing college readiness.
“We are so honored to have received this AP Honor Roll Award, as we strive each year to provide every student with a college preparatory experience, which includes the successful completion of challenging AP courses,” commented Amy Bowman, Pinecrest Academy high school principal. “The Platinum designation from AP speaks to the excellence that our faculty strives for in delivering challenging content that prepares our students for college.”
The numbers
During the 2023-2024 school year, Pinecrest had 89% of seniors taking at least one AP exam during high school, 82% of seniors scoring a three or higher on at least one AP exam and 58% who took five or more AP exams. Twenty-one AP courses were offered, representing 30 sections taught by 12 high school teachers at the school.
“Our Class of 2024 earned a 100% acceptance into the college/university of their choice,” Bowman said. “Since the school’s first graduating class of 2007, Pinecrest’s high school has maintained a 100% graduation rate every year.”
AP Access Award
Pinecrest Academy was also awarded the AP Access Award this year. Schools on the AP School Honor Roll may earn the AP Access Award, which recognizes schools that demonstrate a clear and effective commitment to equitable access to advanced coursework.
“AP represents an opportunity for students to stand out to colleges, earn college credit and placement and potentially boost their grade point averages,” said Trevor Packer, head of the AP program. “The schools have shown that they can expand access to these college-level courses and still drive high performance — they represent the best of our AP program.”
Wesleyan School recently announced that the National Merit Scholarship Corporation has recognized nine of the school’s seniors.
The National Merit Scholarship Program is an annual academic competition that recognizes exceptional academic promise demonstrated by a student’s outstanding performance on their junior year PSAT.
Seniors Will Jamieson, Thomas Markley, Sara Marie Miller, Tecson Wu, and Caroline Yates were named National Merit Semifinalists, an honor that only 1 percent of seniors (approximately 16,000 total) nationwide receive based on their PSAT scores. These seniors will submit essays in the hopes of becoming finalists to earn scholarship money from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Finalists will be announced in February.
Additionally, seniors Landon Clement, Audrey Cornell, Rachel Oh, and Ellie Simmons were named National Merit Commended students. Approximately 2 percent of seniors nationwide receive this recognition.
About Wesleyan
Wesleyan School is a Christian, independent K-12 college preparatory school located in Peachtree Corners. At the start of the 2022-2023 school year, Wesleyan enrolled 1,207 students from throughout the metropolitan Atlanta area.
For more information about the National Merit Scholarship, visit nationalmerit.org.
Photos
From top left: Landon Clement, Thomas Markley, Ellie Simmons, Audrey Cornell, Sara Marie Miller, Tecson Wu, Will Jamieson, Rachel Oh and Caroline Yates
Photos courtesy of Wesleyan School; photo credit: Rebekah Smith
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