A YOUNG Cebuana golfer, Grace Pauline Quintanilla, is slowly making her name in the golfing scene of the United State and was recently awarded the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) 2026 Women’s Golf Freshman of the Year.
Quintanilla, 19, a women’s varsity team member of Texas State University (TSU), started as a junior golfer here in Cebu before being offered to play in her current school, which has more than 41,000 students.
This writer recently caught up with Quintanilla, who’s spending her school break here in Cebu.
The pride of Inayawan, Cebu City is taking up Accountancy in the US and is balancing life as a student-athlete and a member of the Philippine national team.
Despite being a freshman, Quintanilla was quick to prove her worth with the school, a testament to the 2026 Freshman of the Year award.
The secret: her planner.
“It’s kind of hard to manage time, to be honest, but having a plan every day -- I always have a planner -- and set up what I’m going to do every hour of the day. Also, the school is helping us out with our athletes on our schedule,” Quintanilla told this writer.
With her achievements in academics and also in sports, Quintanilla humbly quipped that she has more to learn.
Her ultimate goal is to become a pro golfer and also get that Accountancy degree.
When asked about her journey from dreaming in Cebu, to now being miles away with a college scholariship and all the opportunities, Quintanilla shared a realization:
“It made me realize that the world is so big,” she said.
“But trying your best, working your hardest, will ultimately get you up there.” / RSC