Agribusiness and food industry management major Diego Gonzalez is also a member of the A&T’s Division 1 golf team. “Everybody needs food and there are always going to be jobs in the food industry. That’s something that will never change,” he said.
When N.C. A&T’s Division I golf program offered Diego Gonzalez the chance to dream big, he jumped at the chance.
Supported by an athletic scholarship, the 21-year-old Caracas, Venezuela native came to North Carolina to pursue a pro golf career, but he’s also well aware that life doesn’t always go as planned. That’s why he settled on a major in agribusiness and food industry management.
“Everybody needs food and there’s always going to be jobs in the food industry. That’s something that will never change,” he said. “If golf doesn’t pan out, the global agriculture industry is so broad that there will always be opportunities.”
Gonzalez has golf in his blood. His father, a coach, nurtured his love of the game in Managua, Nicaragua where the family had relocated, and where he spent most of his childhood. As a teen, his talent in the sport stood out, and by age 16, he was offered a scholarship to a golf academy in Mexico. Two years later he began seeking Division I golf teams in the United States. A childhood friend from Venezuela had earlier been accepted into A&T’s golf program and mentioned Gonzalez to the coach.
He is now making the most of his Aggie experience. Like most college athletes, the sport consumes most of his time. That is especially true with golf, because tournaments take place in both spring and fall semesters. Still, he manages to regularly get on the dean’s list, and never slip below a 3.2 grade point average. Hard work is key to maintaining a healthy balance between sports and academics, says Gonzalez, whose day begins at 5:30 a.m. and ends late.
“I’ve never been the best student, but I’m always there, and always do the work,” he said.
His advisor, Kenrett Jefferson-Moore, Ph.D., begs to differ.
“He’s not just a good golfer, but a good student,” Moore said. “Even though he’s always busy with golf, he works hard to keep good study habits and he’s very responsible.”
One of Gonzalez’s most rewarding academic experiences was a summer internship that Jefferson-Moore helped him secure with Founders Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids, MI. There, he learned about fermentation, food safety protocols and more. The most significant impression he took away from the experience was the importance of communication.
“I think that’s one of the most important skills in a profession. If you know how to communicate with people, you’ll go a long way, no matter what happens,” he said.
Gonzales said the university has provided him with opportunities to forge lasting friendships on both the golf team, which he describes as “a second family,” and through A&T’s large Hispanic student social club. Between the two groups, Gonzales says, “It’s like being back home.”
He already has contributed to the annals of Aggie sports history, becoming the first golfer to win a tournament in 2018. In the 2019-20 season, he helped Aggies finish second at the SSU Tiger Invitational with his performance. He also finished tied for second at the Maryland Eastern Shore Collegiate Challenge (along with teammate Xavier Williams) as he shot a three-round 6-over 222 to help the Aggies win the tournament for the program’s first-ever tournament victory.
Although Gonzales plans to graduate in May, he will have one more year on the team; because COVID-19 caused a one-year hiatus in competition, and because he has been accepted to the master’s program in agribusiness and food industry management, the golf program extended his scholarship another year.
In the future, he hopes to find a job in the U.S., with an employer who will sponsor a work visa.
