PORT ANGELES — The success of the Clallam County Orcas Golf Team will be celebrated with a talk by Peninsula College student David Carver; Bill Shea, director of golf at The Cedars at Dungeness; and golf pro Garrett Smithson at 12:35 p.m. Thursday.
The free lecture will be in the Little Theater at Peninsula College, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd.
The focus of the presentation will be Carver’s journey from helping start a Clallam County Special Olympics Team to becoming a gold medalist and an inspiration to his teammates.
Shea noted that Carver “had no knowledge or playing experience” but he did have a goal and not only became a talented player but also a coach’s assistant, and now is an employee at the Dungeness golf course.
Kate Reavey, Studium Generale coordinator, said she was impressed with Carver’s commitment as a student in her GS-121 class. The general studies course includes attending lectures and performances and participating in discussions that reflect upon the content as well as the presentation styles and approaches offered each week.
When Carver visited during office hours to strengthen his writing skills through revising his discussion posts, the two began talking about one of the presentations that centered on the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.
Carver said, “I work for the tribe,” and then began to outline the experiences he has had through Special Olympics, his participation as a team member, and finally, and perhaps most important to him, his work as a coach’s assistant.
When Reavey asked Carver if he would be interested in sharing his successes and the story of the Orcas Golf Team, he immediately gave credit to his mentors Bill Shea and Garrett Smithson, and said he would like to present in the series to inspire others to create goals and commit to them.
The Thursday presentation will begin with an overview of Special Olympics and an introduction to the guest speakers given by Jan Isett, Peninsula College staff member and long-time Special Olympics coach.
Information for audience members on how to become involved in Special Olympics in Clallam County also will be included.
For more information, contact Reavey at kreavey@pencol.edu.
