When high school athletes compete in their sports, they are playing for more than just themselves and their teammates. They are also playing for their school and community. Jillian Porter is a golfer for Empire High School. She loves her school and always looks to be a positive representation of it. 

“It’s an honor to be able to represent my community and school,” she said. “Because I am proud of where I come from and grateful for how far I’ve come.”

Porter is wrapping up her junior year at Empire. Along with golf, she is also a member of the National Honor Society, Student Council and the Academic Team, and she is on the yearbook staff. 

She has invested a lot of time and effort into becoming the best golfer that she can be. Porter knows that is what it takes to be successful.

“It has taken a lot of time to work on fundamental things,” she said. “Also I have to practice as much as possible. But I have seen the work pay off. The highlight moment would have to be when I made a 30-foot putt to birdie a par four.

There have been a number of people that have been influential in Jillian’s golf career and have served as role models for her. 

“I think my biggest role model is Hailey Ostrom,” Porter said. “She is a very good golfer and she inspires me to work hard. Someone that I like to follow on social media is Danny Maude mainly because he gives a lot of very useful tips that I use to try and improve my golf game.”

Jillian’s teammates have also played a role in the success that she has experienced. Whether it is in practice or during a competition, she is thankful for them and the role they play. 

“I like to work against Ashtin Anderson because we shoot about the same and are pretty evenly matched,” she said. “In my opinion, the least appreciated person on the team is Jocelyn Alvarez. She works very hard and has a lot of dedication to making herself better.”