From Alnwick, England to Statesboro, Georgia, senior golfer Jake Storey has had to make quite the transition over the past four years.

The combined pressures of school, athletics and being over 4,000 miles away from their hometown and family could be a large load to handle for most individuals, but Storey was able to take it all on, not to mention doing it all while succeeding at the highest level.

Before making the choice to move to Statesboro, Storey was a member of England’s National Golf Team.

He played in a grand total of 11 events in his three seasons with the club from 2012 to 2014. His best year of work with the national team, Storey was able to notch a 72.38 scoring average in the 2014 season.

When his tenure representing England was over after his high school graduation, Jake had a difficult choice to make of where he would take his next step.

After long hours of thoughtful consideration, it seemed as if Georgia Southern won him over, and shortly after Statesboro became his new home.

“I chose to play college golf at Georgia Southern because we have a great program which can compete with the best teams in the country,” Storey said when asked about his decision. “We have fantastic facilities and the weather all year round in the South is so good that it lends itself to being able to work hard and improve all year around.”

But unlike the vast majority of college students currently enrolled in the United States, who tend to stay in the same state or relatively close to home when attending college, Storey’s move from a completely different country took quite the getting used to.

“The transition was something that took me a while to get over and handle,” Storey said.

But he added that even though it felt strange that he can only go home maybe once in a semester, the people, environment, and teammates that he encountered on GS’ campus welcomed him with open arms and made him feel right at home.

The entire reasoning behind his move to Statesboro, the game of golf, undoubtedly holds a special place near Storey’s heart. “Golf means a lot to me and it always will.” Storey said.

Ever since his dad introduced the game to him in the early goings of his childhood, he has yet to get bored with it, and claims that he never will.

“It’s scary to think that my amateur golfing career is coming to an end,” Storey said reflecting on his time here as an Eagle. “I wouldn’t have wanted to do it anywhere else but Georgia Southern.”

And Eagle Nation is definitely grateful for the four years of growth and lasting impact he has left on the program, and his own personal legacy.

From only participating in five tournaments for the team his freshman year, to being named to the First-Team All Sun Belt Team and the overall Sun Belt Golfer of the Year in his junior season, Storey has undeniably cemented his place in Eagle golf history.

Moving forward, Storey said that his advice for others, and himself, is to approach things with an open mind and strive to go the extra mile in everything that you do.

He has done just that during his time here at GS, achieving great things not only on the golf course, but in the classroom as well, which led him to be named to the Sun Belt Academic Honor Roll in the 2016-2017 season.

“Being a student athlete here has its challenges”, Storey said. “Missing 10 days of class in the spring and again in the fall.”

No matter the obstacles he faced, Jake said there is no greater reward than representing your school by playing the sport that you love.

Ryan Pye, The George-Anne Sports Candidate, gasports@georgiasouthern.edu