CARMEL, Ind. — At Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel, a young lady from Nigeria is about to live out the American dream by putting in hard work, one round at a time.
It's just another day at the office for Faheesat Alase-Makanjuola as she straps on a golf bag.
"I've been a caddie for about three years now," Alase-Makanjuola said. "I usually just go on the golf course, introduce myself to a golfer and say, 'Hey, I'm going to be your caddie today,' and we just go out for a round and have a nice time."
Alase-Makanjuola is a motivated 18-year-old who will soon be an Indiana University freshman.
"I'll be focusing on majoring in biology. I plan on becoming a pediatric doctor," she said. "I really love kids and I've wanted to know that ... I've always wanted to help have an impact on kids since I was a child, so I've decided I should focus on the specialty of pediatrics."
Alase-Makanjuola's family moved to Indianapolis seven years ago from Nigeria, seeking a better life. She said her life today would be different if her family had stayed.
"I would probably be married and probably taking care of the house, like cooking, cleaning and stuff like that, basically being a woman," Alase-Makanjuola said.
She graduated with honors from Ben Davis High School, 12th in her class of nearly 1,000 students. The Western Golf Association gave her a full-ride college scholarship for caddying and her good grades.
"It's so nice," Alase-Makanjuola said. "I feel like it's a two-in-one because you get to go out and have a nice time in the sun, or you're just staying at home and watching TV or something like that. And you also get some tips — some really nice tips."
She's earning it the old fashioned way, through hard work, one fairway at a time.