Alumni Profile – Jason Prendergast ‘89

What have you done since graduating from LI? 
After graduating, I enrolled in the Professional Golf Management Program at Mississippi State University at 26 and graduated in 2001. Since then, I’ve worked at some of the country’s top golf clubs. I spent two years at Oakmont Country Club, which was ranked among the world’s top ten private clubs at the time. After that, I worked for four years at Quail Valley Golf Club in Vero Beach, Florida. I then spent twenty years as the Head Golf Professional at The Country Club of Jackson, which many people consider Mississippi’s top private club. For eleven of those years, I was the Host PGA Professional for the PGA TOUR’s Sanderson Farms Championship. I’ve received the Gulf States PGA Bill Strausbaugh Award for mentorship, been named Gulf States PGA Merchandiser of the Year four times and was twice a finalist for National PGA Merchandiser of the Year. Staying connected to Lyndon Institute has always mattered to me. Since around 2008, I’ve supported the LI Golf Team by returning each year to lead a multi-day golf school and help with team needs. With help from Caleb Burrington '09 and others, the LI Golf Learning Center came to life on campus in 2024. This innovative facility, featuring two advanced golf simulators, reflects a donor-driven commitment to expanding student opportunity. Today, the center enhances team development, supports J-Term and summer programs, and is even inspiring Lyndon Institute’s STEM faculty to explore new, technology-based learning applications.  Most recently, I left The Country Club of Jackson to start JCP Golf: Next Level Mentorship. This platform is designed to offer top-level mentorship to golf merchandisers, aspiring PGA professionals, and current PGA professionals, helping them reach their goals and follow their dreams in the game.

Tell us about your family.
I married Kathleen Nichols (Class of 1990) on October 3, 2015. I have a stepdaughter, Izzy Dodge. 

What was your first memory of being excited?
The one that comes to mind is finding my first four-leaf clover with my Aunt Debbie Switser, I was maybe six years old.

What are you most proud of from your LI experience?
Playing Quarterback as a junior to beat SJA at home and winning the team state championship in alpine skiing my senior year.

Which class helped you the most with your future endeavors?
It was a class my mom forced me to take against my will – typing of all things, with Mr. Prevost.

Which classes were the most difficult for you?
I struggled with History, but nothing like English (I never made more than a “C”).

Which event was your favorite during Winter Carnival?
The talent show, which I believe has evolved into Air Band. Who doesn’t love Air Band.

What would you name the autobiography of your life?
Dream Driven: Toward the Self Net Yet Met
(Ironically, that is the name of my memoir I just published)

What do you miss the most about LI?
I miss my friends and teachers. Maybe it sounds cliché, but that time in my life was so impactful. The friendships I had back then felt pure, built on shared experiences and being in the same place. As life moves forward, it becomes harder to form relationships in the same way. What I miss most is how real those connections felt.

What was your favorite tie you wore for dress-up day?
It was a skinny white leather tie – I rocked it!

Where was your favorite place to hang out after school?
Howard Hazen’s house playing basketball and foosball – I wasn’t good at either one.

Who was your favorite teacher at LI?
I had several great teachers, but the two that impacted me and my time at LI the most were David Williams and Doreen Yerkes. 

What was your favorite lunch from the LI cafeteria?
French fries. Derek Newland used to sit in front of me in Doreen Yerkes’ class, and I would say, “D-Buddy, I need to borrow a dollar for lunch.” I still wonder how much I owe Derek.

What was the #1 song you loved to hear your senior year?
“Bad to the Bone” by George Thorogood and the Destroyers — this was my starting gate song before every ski race. 

Whose classroom had a secret closet to the bell tower?
I didn’t know there was a secret closet. Interesting. Is that included in the on-campus tour during alumni weekend? If so, sign me up!

Did you know what you wanted to study/focus on academically?
No, I had no idea. I was good at math and science, but I was just as lost as most people are, both then and now.

What is your favorite quote? 
“Greatness is open to all but only pursued by a few. It is the space beyond success where calling and legacy meet and a noble heart is required.” ~ David L. Cook, PhD

What is something you didn’t like about your LI experience?
Losing at home to SJA my senior year in football was tough.

What Vehicle did you drive to school?
I drove a Renault when I wasn’t grounded from using the car.

Who had the sweetest ride when you were in school? 
I think Jamie Yerkes drove a blue Ford Mustang GT 5.0, a convertible if my memory serves me right. Kathleen Nichols had a station wagon with wood side panels, and she drove me everywhere. That made hers the coolest car on campus… sorry, Jamie.

What is something at LI that you absolutely loved being a part of?
Two things stand out. First, being part of the yearbook staff my senior year with Howard Hazen and others. While Howard and I contributed, Kara Lawrence ’90, and Sue Parent ’90, were truly at the helm, and they deserve the credit. I really enjoyed the process of bringing our class to life on those pages. Second, the pep rallies before the LI–St. Johnsbury football games. They were electric. I’ll always remember the feeling in those moments—there was a real sense of belief and that’s hard to replicate.

If you had to do it all over again, what would you have done differently?
I didn’t put forth enough effort academically, but I worked hard athletically. Back then, I didn’t honestly understand the importance of my education. Even when I thought I was giving it my all, there was still more I hadn’t tapped into. If I could do it over, I’d ask every teacher and coach to show me what was really possible and tell me where it could lead, explain what it would take to get there, ask how willing I was to go after it, and then push me every day to match that level of commitment. I believe we’re all more willing than we think.

Who were your best friends?
I was lucky to have many. And rather than risk leaving someone out, a few that come to mind are Dana Lefaivre, and classmates, Howard Hazen, Chris Sylce, Betsy Bailey, Joy Goodwin, Rachelle Batchelder (she was like a sister), and of course, Kathleen Nichols.