Being an elite tennis player is expensive. University is expensive. And, even though Bermudian tennis player, Daniel Phillips, 20, had been awarded an athletic scholarship to attend Arizona State University, he found his first year tough financially.
“I barely made it over the limit to go to Arizona State. I just had enough money to pay for everything and that’s not good for tennis because you’ve got to pay for tournaments and other stuff,” Mr Phillips explained.
Then Mr Phillips’ mother, Sarah Fellows, had a chance encounter while working in a food truck. She was helping out a friend and was wearing an ASU t-shirt her son had given her. When a woman who works for the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences saw Ms Fellows and the t-shirt, she told her about a new scholarship being offered to Bermudian students by ASU and encouraged her to get her son to apply. He did and he got it.
ASU and the BIOS formed a partnership in 2021 and now offers two scholarships: the ASU Bermuda Tuition Scholarship and the ASU Bermuda Scholarship. These cover any ASU undergraduate programme and aim “to advance the educational opportunities for the citizens of Bermuda”.
BORN TO PLAY TENNIS
Mr Phillips is the first recipient of the ASU Bermuda Scholarship, which is available for four years.
His degree is in business management and he credits his coaches, tutors and professors for his ability to fulfill both his tennis and academic commitments.
Mr Phillips’ journey began on the courts of The Temple of Tennis in Port Royal Golf Course at the age of two.
“All I remember is being there from sun up to sun down with my coach, Sam Maybury,” said the Somerset native, who knew even at this young age that he wanted to be a professional tennis player.
His exceptional talent and determination led to an unusual educational path. He attended Somerset Primary until P5, then online school, CMA SAS, for two years. From there he went to the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain, and at 15 he moved to England. This allowed him to not just develop his game, but play in tennis tournaments all over Europe.
He moved to Florida for high school, giving him the opportunity to travel and compete in the US,
South and Central America, as well as Canada. He graduated high school with a 3.7 GPA.
PRACTICAL DEGREE CHOICE
Mr Phillips had hoped to go professional straight after high school, but injuries, advice from his team and his gut instinct led him to ASU.
“The coaches here are some of the best coaches that I’ve ever met and my tennis just keeps developing,” he said.
While his goal is a successful professional tennis career, he is also practical, which inspired his degree choice.
“Business management is a degree that can get you that solid job placement,” he explained.
He admitted he finds some of the maths hard, but overall he added: “I’m liking it so far. I’ve thought about changing to business entrepreneurship, so I can get a better understanding about owning my own company one day, or owning my brand, but that’s further down the road.”
BUSY LIFE
In addition to studying, Mr Phillips has to train and travel. On the day we spoke, he had just returned from a tournament in Kentucky and admitted: “I’ve got a lot of work to catch up on.”
Helping him manage his academic commitments, is his academic coach, Rebecca Stevenson.
“She helps put the schedule together for me with my classes, professors, my tutors, my meetings,” he explained. “She gets me the best classes to work around the schedule because I know I’m going to be travelling a lot. We have good professors who understand that.”
Being awarded the ASU scholarship has made it not just easier to focus on his sporting and academic goals, but it also helps him to take better care of himself.
“This allowed us to be a lot more free about planning my schedule and the tournaments I want to play in, where I want to go, how long I want to be there,” he said.
“It’s also allowed me to be more free about my accommodations, about being able to go to Target to get the necessities, getting haircuts, that kind of stuff.”
SHARE YOUR STORY
Mr Phillips advised anyone applying for ASU scholarships to include as much information
about themselves and their journey as possible, especially if it is out of the ordinary. He also emphasised that no one should be ashamed to ask for financial help.
“Don’t leave out anything about your journey and what you’re going through,” he said.
“I felt that BIOS understood that it’s really just been me, my single mom, and I don’t think they could comprehend how me, my brother and my sister could all accomplish this with my single mom, doing this all by herself. I think they really saw strength in that.
“Don’t forget to add anything that you think might be a little out there, a little weird. That’s a part of your journey and that’s who you are. Write truly from yourself.
“All the hardships that you’ve been through. The people here at ASU, the people at BIOS, they’re here to help you become your best version and you shouldn’t feel nervous going to them and asking for help.”
While Mr Phillips’ commitment, drive and determination is behind much of his success so far, he expresses considerable gratitude to the huge number of family, friends, tennis coaches, teachers and investors who have supported his dream over the years.
He reserves particularly high praise for his mother.
“She was a rock star. I don’t know how she did it!” And his first tennis coach, Mr Maybury: “He showed me a lot about the man I want to become, to always remember where I come from, and to always give back to the community.”
For more information about the ASU Bermuda Scholarship, visit: https:// tuition.asu.edu/financial-aid/asu-bermuda- scholarships
