Impact Of A Scholarship: Alexis Holmes

After moving, on average, every two to four years, Alexis Holmes never really had a hometown; that changed as soon as she stepped foot on to University of Maryland’s campus, a place she can now call home forever.

Holmes found herself interested in becoming a golfer at around age 13 or 14, but compared to other recruits, this didn’t seem like it was early enough. Receiving offers from Penn State, Xavier, Georgetown, Columbia, Minnesota and Maryland left Holmes in shock. “It was a huge personal achievement to obtain those scholarship offers just looking at where I started,” she said.

“I wanted to have that big school, big university experience.”

After taking a closer look at Maryland, the golf program, the coach, the location of the golf course and the beautiful campus made it an easy decision for Holmes. “I thought the setup was perfect for being not just a student-athlete, but a golfer at the University of Maryland,” said Holmes.

Aside from golf, Holmes found herself incredibly interested in the English department at Maryland after finding out it was one of the smallest while presenting new and upcoming major selections at the university. “I liked that I could have this huge campus feel with big campus benefits, but within my major I was also going to have that more intimate setting that I was looking for, one where you could really have one-on-one services,” she said.

Some of Holmes’ fondest memories of her college career can be traced back to her time as a Terrapin. She specifically recalls Saturday morning practices in the fall where her and her teammates hit wedges in the short-game facility. “Mornings like those are when you just feel like you’re a part of something really cool and really big; that was always sort of a rush.”

Getting the chance to participate in the ACC championship tournament held in North Carolina was also a memory Holmes will never let go of. The flawless greens and perfectly-raked bunkers left the team in awe. “It was in immaculate condition and we are even more excited than usual to get out there each year,” Holmes said.

In addition to the high quality course preparation, Holmes continued to reminisce on the feeling she had when walking down the same holes that the pros and PGA tour participants play on.

Not only did Maryland allow Holmes to excel athletically, but also helped provide her a path to the career she has today. 

“Having golf as a part of who I am and what I’ve done was a great way to open doors for me in the legal field,” Holmes said proudly.

When applying to law school, she used golf as a personal statement to standout and to be remembered. “Golf can instantly connect you with someone who you might otherwise have no instantly connected with.”

Holmes graduated from the prestigious University of Chicago Law School in 2015 and went on to work as a litigation associate in Jones Day’s D.C office in October of 2015. Shortly after, in August 2016, Holmes left to clerk for federal judge John A. Mendez, at the Eastern District of California, a courthouse in Sacramento, California.

She grew incredibly close to Mendez over her term as a clerk. “I was lucky enough to work for a judge who in many ways, reminds me of my father and has been a mentor ever since,” Holmes said. Being a Division I golfer at the University of Maryland is what initially caught Mendez’s eye as he’s an avid golfer, so the two have shared many rounds of golf together since. 

Even though Holmes has moved on from this position and no longer clerks for Mendez, their personal lives often cross paths as they continue to text and zoom, along with the other clerks who are like sisters to her.

Holmes later moved on to the firm she currently works at, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. She began work in their Palo Alto office in California and recently transferred to their Washington D.C. office, bringing her back ‘home’ in the DMV. 

Holmes holds the position of a mitigation attorney at S&C, handling different types of commercial litigation in which she works to represent businesses with legal troubles. She also helps with government investigations brought by various government entities.

She is beyond thankful for the donors who funded her scholarship at Maryland as she still thinks about it to this day and wants to give back herself. “I am incredibly appreciative of what they do and what they are still doing, especially at a time like now,” Holmes said.

To current and future student-athletes, Holmes advises them to really relish the position as it is a unique experience, and a rewarding one as well. She urges students to use the resources. “Figure out how you can use this experience, along with the tools, relationships, and academics offered, to help you achieve the next step in life,” she noted.

“Being in college is the best four or five years of your life, but that’s times 10 when you’re a student-athlete.”