By Jeff Wilson

Kylee Vaughan is living her dream – playing college golf close to home.

The McLeansboro native and Hamilton County High School graduate is a junior at SIU and has received multiple athletic scholarships, including the Diane Daugherty Women’s Golf Team Scholarship, Jane Tally Phelps Athletic Scholarship, and Banterra Bank Scholarship.

“I started playing golf when I was 6 years old, usually at the golf course in McLeansboro or at Green Hills in Mount Vernon,” she said. “My mom and dad are high school golf coaches at Hamilton County, and my brother played at John A. Logan and Rend Lake College.”

Vaughan, now a junior, chose SIU over Murray State, citing the coaching staff and the university’s small-town feel as the deciding factors.

“My time at SIU has been great,” she said. “It’s like one big family. Everything from coaches to the support staff … it’s been a great experience.”

An exercise science major, Vaughan’s academic goals have evolved, and she’s now planning a future as a pharmacist.

“Scholarships have helped me focus on my schoolwork and getting my practices in,” she said. “Being a student-athlete is a major commitment, and time management is important if you’re going to fit everything in.”

Beyond scholarships, donors are vital to every Saluki athletic program. Funds are used to support equipment and facility upgrades, travel costs, uniforms, and more.

The impact donors have on individual students, the university, and thus, the entire region is obvious to Vaughan.

“It’s really important to give back,” she said. “You’re helping someone who’s in the same position you were in as a student. Donors make such a big difference.”