Natalie Henson Named Morris Family Scholarship Recipient-
The Iowa PGA Foundation Morris Family Scholarship committee has selected Natalie Henson of Marshalltown, Iowa as the 2025 Morris Family Scholarship recipient.
The Morris Family Scholarship is being awarded for the very first time in 2025. Henson is the first ever award winner. There can only be “one first ever”.
When asked what this means to win, Bolte responded with, “Receiving this scholarship is more than just financial assistance, it is an investment in my education and my future. I am honored to be chosen from the Morris family. I am deeply grateful for their belief in my potential; I will carry that encouragement with me as I play golf at UNO and pursue my dream of becoming a pilot.”
When Henson was little, she started to play golf to connect with her family. We often played it together for an enjoyable afternoon. Her favorite place was the sand traps. She would purposely hit it in there to play in the sand. Then she started to get a little older and compete competitively in the Junior League team at Elmwood Country Club, the Iowa Jr. PGA tournaments along with the Drive, Chip and Drive Qualifiers. After that, she started to play in Hurricane Junior Golf Association tournaments and Iowa Golf Association Tournaments. Henson continuously works with Ken Schall to improve her swing and golf game.
Henson’s stated what golf means to her, “Golf isn’t only a game to though, it is a lifestyle. I have learned discipline and hard work. I also caddie at the Harvester Golf Club. The biggest life lesson I have taken on the course and off is to have an optimistic attitude. Golf is almost all about your mental game. The statistics are 70% mental and 30% physical. Caddying for others has made this clearer because you see it up close and it’s not yourself in the middle of your own game. Golf has had a huge impact on my life and I am grateful I can continue to play in college.”
Next year, Henson is signed to play at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her major is Aviation, and she is working towards becoming a commercial pilot. It is going to be a lot of work; however, with what golf has taught her to be persistent and how to work hard, she knows she will succeed. Becoming a pilot costs more than just a college degree.
Henson is working to get her private pilot’s license now. I am blessed to have the chance for further education. Many women didn’t have this opportunity previously, especially in Aviation. A 4.0 unweighted GPA and ranked first in her class demonstrates how serious she is when it comes to her education.
Volunteering is another important aspect of her life. Not many people are as fortunate as she is. Henson achieved her silver cord for graduation by completing over 200 hours of volunteer time in the Marshalltown Community. Most of her volunteer time was at the Marshalltown Area United Way. She worked closely with the executive director for all 4 years of her high school career.
Henson is also a big sister in the Big Brother Big Sister program. In this program, she mentors a young girl named Barakhel and help her through her life struggles. Henson also volunteers at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown by visiting and working with a resident. Her friend’s name is Fern Bradley. She served in a kitchen during WWII. She gets to paint with Fern while she tells Henson her stories. Her life story is sad, but she never let that slow her down.
“Lastly, I want to leave a legacy in Marshalltown girl’s golf. I started a Girl’s Jr. Golf program to support little girls in the game of golf. I’m hoping they learn life lessons and continue to love the game as much as I do,” Henson’s commented.
Golf has not only taught Henson optimism and hard work but also shaped her into a leader on and off of the golf course. She wants to make a positive impact on as many people’s lives as she can.
The Iowa PGA Congratulates Natalie Henson as our 2025 Morris Family Scholarship Award Winner.
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