IAA Super Student Brian Knott

IAA super student Brian Knott knows what it’s like to fail.

“In high school, I seemed to excel only in ‘parking lot ethics 101.’  I got D’s and F’s,” laments the self-described “old kid,” a golf course management major and soon-to-be graduate.

Indeed, setting foot on the grounds of the IAA wasn’t something that was easy for Knott after having been away from school for more than two decades.

“I witnessed a friend of mine, Richard, take the plunge and go back to school about 10 years ago. This guy was a little older than me and encouraged me to do the same. I balked at the idea at first because, honestly, I had a fear of going back to school and not doing well,” said Knott.

Richard, who worked as Knott’s partner in a landscape and design outfit, inspired Knott because not only did he excel academically, but he also developed an optimistic outlook on life.

“I don't know why, but, I found myself signing up--and signing up for the core class that I was most afraid of--ALGEBRA! I was determined to not avoid it any longer but go THROUGH it, not around it or over or under it but through it—so I did,” Knott beamed. After sweating through the homework and spending countless hours crunching numbers, the former high school slacker got an A in the course.

“My self-esteem skyrocketed. I wanted more of that feeling! Immediately, I signed up for College Algebra,” said Knott.

That was in 2006. Unfortunately for Knott, that year the dollars just didn’t add up.

“My dad fell ill from cancer and died. Needless to say, that rocked my world and I had to drop the class, uproot from Annapolis and move back home to take care of family matters. Things were incredibly tough and the thought of going back to school again was starting to slip away,” Knott said solemnly.

Knott found himself both emotionally and financially distraught.

“Along with the death of my dad, the company I was working for dissolved due to the financial collapse. I found myself back at a golf course because I needed something so that I could pay my mortgage.”

And it was the peace, tranquility, and manicured grounds offered by the grounds that made Knott fall in love with the field of green.

“While mowing greens one morning, I caught a glorious sunrise off of the Patuxent River and instantly knew that this is what I wanted to do—be on the golf course till retirement!”

Enter Dave Burkhart, an IAA alumnus who eagerly gave Knott the contacts he needed to make his way to golf course superintendent one day.

“Dave had many good things to say about Dr. Mathias and the program itself. Next I knew, I was at orientation and on my way—and my life hasn’t been the same since!”

At age 41, Knott applied himself with the same determination he had before he faced his 2006 obstacles.

“I made a commitment to do the absolute best I could, and I have made good on that commitment. I have finished three semesters so far and I have been on the Dean's List all three times, hovering around a 3.8 GPA,” he said excitedly.

Knott’s success doesn’t stay in the classroom. When he’s not pulling early-morning (and late-night) shifts in the conference room studying for tests, he serves as vice president of the student chapter of the DC Branch of PGMS, he is a member of the GCSAA, the Mid-Atlantic Association of Golf Course Superintendents and a volunteer at the UMD Public Health Garden. In addition, he is a competitor in the annual collegiate Turf Bowl.

“Believe me, all of this just blows me away!” he exclaimed.

But even though the IAA phenom has experienced so much triumph, Knott keeps a pretty humble attitude toward his success, which includes receiving the Shield’s Family Memorial Scholarship, the MAAGCS, the MAEF Seibel Scholarship and the Davey Tree Scholarship.

“The scholarships along with the federal student aid have made life relatively easy while staying the course here at the IAA, because without the two, realistically, it just wouldn't be possible for me. I thank the IAA for giving me the chance to redeem myself. If there is one thing I know throughout all of this, is, if I can do it, then ANYONE can do it! Discipline and a fire in your gut is all it takes and with the help of the awesome staff, you'll be on your way. The sky is the limit!”