Next up on our Where Are They Now series, we feature our school-record holder for career birdies in golf. Andre Primeau was a prominent staple for his team from the start of his Goldey-Beacom career in 2014 and made himself known.
Since graduating, he has remained the leader with 123 career birdies. In addition to such an outstanding record, Andre was named to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Weekly Honor Roll twice along with being picked to the CACC Spring Academic Honor Roll in 2015-16.
During Andre's junior season, he recorded 37 birdies for the third-best single-season mark in team history and also notched three top-20 finishes. His career statistics over 45 tournaments and 85 rounds include an average score of 81.26 strokes per round. His career low of 73 came in the spring of 2016, tying for first place at the GBC Spring Invitational. The Pontypool, Ontario native succeeded both on the golf course and in the classroom as he was able to continue his success post-graduation.
Andre used the tools he had been given from GBC to continue his education. When asked how his experience at Goldey-Beacom helped him find his first position post-graduation, he replied, "I feel as though GBC gave me a great experience in order to prepare me for my career, even though I did not jump right into work after attending Goldey. I was able to go to Western Illinois University as a Teaching Assistant while pursuing a Master's degree in Sport Management. I feel like the education and experience I got from GBC was able to help me navigate through graduate school as well as helping me find a job in my field of study."
Goldey-Beacom provides a wide range of courses that students are able to use as a road map and help tailor their interests. For Andre, he believes that GBC did just that. "I thought GBC did a pretty good job at preparing me for life after school. There were a few classes I am very grateful for taking at Goldey. While some students may not see the point in taking Microsoft Office classes, I found those to be very useful for me as I am constantly using those applications. Learning various tips/shortcuts really helped me stand out in the position I have today. Another class I felt I really got a lot out of was my Sports Marketing class. I was able to learn from a successful professor and learn the ins and outs of the marketing side of sports."
Coming from a different country to navigate a new school and environment can be a challenge for international students. When asked how he was able to manage the changes, he said "A setback for international students, as with me, was being so far away from home. Leaving for GBC was my first time living away from home and not being close enough to visit often was tough in the beginning. It's never easy going to a place where you don't know anyone, but I was able to settle into GBC very quickly and meet some lifelong friends (Shoutout GBC Golf!)."
In his personal life, he moved to Macomb, Illinois where he attended Western Illinois University from August 2018-May 2020. Andre was able to secure a job as an Assistant Golf Professional just outside of Boston, starting right after graduating from WIU. "Since golf is seasonal so far north, I was able to find a job at a nice private golf course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida for the winter, which is where I am now."
