Spencer Cross began playing golf at the age of two. By the time he was 10, he was traveling across the Southeastern United States playing tournaments.

“I grew up playing basketball and baseball, too, but my freshman year of high school I decided to pursue golf exclusively,” Cross, a senior marketing major in the Haslam College of Business, says.

The decision to narrow his focus paid off. In 2015, Cross won the Tennessee State Golf Championship.

“After winning the championship, I received a call from the University of Tennessee golf coach at the time, offering me a scholarship to play for my dream school,” Cross says,

UT wasn’t the only call Cross received, but he immediately knew it would be the best place to pursue his athletic and academic goals.

“UT offers everything I could ever want in a school for golf, academics and the college experience,” Cross says. “I was recruited to play golf at schools across the country; however, playing golf at UT and in the SEC is something I had dreamed of doing. The culture that surrounds UT is unlike any other school I have been to.”

As a student-athlete, Cross finds his schedule packed with practice, travel and tournaments. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I have been able to travel to some amazing places across the country with some of my best friends,” Cross says. “Being part of any collegiate team is a great experience, but to be able to play the game I love with great people that are pushing me to be better every day is something I will cherish forever.”

Off the green, Cross is working to complete his degree in marketing, an experience that will help him as he pursues the next goal – a professional golf career.

“The best part about Haslam is the opportunity to make connections,” Cross says. “Every single day you have the chance to engage with someone new that potentially could have an influence on your professional career.”

Calling it a privilege to be a student in Haslam, Cross especially appreciates engaging with students, faculty and successful business people through his coursework and programs outside the classroom.

“They have given me the skills needed to be successful in the business world and have led me on a professional path that fits my goals,” Cross says.

For Cross, that professional path is on the golf course. “After graduation I plan to turn pro and pursue a professional career playing the game I love,” Cross says.