Motherhood can be one of the most rewarding and challenging job titles a woman can take on. Yet, millions of women continue to balance the demands of work and family. In fact, 75.4 percent of today’s workforce includes mothers according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Dow’s General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Amy Wilson, is one of those working moms and admits that becoming a parent makes you realize that 24 hours is not enough time in the day. However, Amy continues to juggle the demands of her career, raising her two daughters and hitting the links. Golf has been a part of her life since she was a young girl.

“My Mom always says that you find time for the things that are important,” Wilson said. “My ability to have golf at the top of the priority list has fluctuated over the years. There were a few years earlier in my career where I missed golf while my kids were young. Golf has been a constant for me and my family.”

Amy and her brother were introduced to the game of golf after their mother expressed interest in playing. During the summer months, their mother found a creative way to introduce her kids to golf at a young age.

“My Mom would have us drop a golf ball 100 yards out and hit it from there.  Over the years, she would have us move further back in the fairway until we were hitting from the tees.”

Amy’s love for the game grew and she later went on to play for her high school’s golf team. She said that there is a lot of research that shows the value of playing a competitive sport in high school – especially for women.

“One of the things that I love about golf is that it’s an individual sport that you play with other people,” Wilson said. “When you’re playing on the junior or high school level, you understand what it means to be a part of a team.”

Over the years, Amy has acquired many golf skills and finds that she uses a lot of the same teachings she learned during her junior golfing days. When struggling on the course, she is always reminding herself to keep her head down and not to sway. She also admits that she is superstitious, and she uses a unique trick to keep her game on track.

“I have some kind of mantra, phrase or song that I repeat every time I stand over the ball,” Wilson said. “It gets you out of whatever else you were doing, the conversation you were having or phone you were checking. It helps change your focus and prepare for the swing.”

The skills Amy has acquired on the course have also been transferrable in her career at Dow. She believes that you can really learn a lot about someone’s true character in one round of golf. One of her favorite rounds included playing with the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dow, Jim Fitterling.

“I’ve worked with and known Jim Fitterling for a long time, but I never shared a golf cart with him,” Wilson said. “We had someone in our foursome who wasn’t a big golfer that was struggling a bit. Jim was very thoughtful and was out there to have fun and be supportive. After that round, I remember thinking that Jim was the kind of person that I wanted to work for and be a leader with [at Dow].”

For Moms looking to pick up the game, Amy says that golf is a good sport for multitasking. She encourages mothers to bring their kids along while they are out on the driving range or putting green. To keep young girls and women in the game, she says females should not feel embarrassed or think they are not good enough to play.

“I talk to women who are trying to learn or are intimidated by the game,” Wilson said. “Some really do not feel comfortable even coming out on the golf course. One of the things that is fascinating to me is golf is a great equalizer. You can have people of all skill levels, all ages, and men and women play together.”

The world of golf continues to be a big part of the Wilson family. Her entire family signed up to volunteer at the 2019 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. Amy’s daughter walked 108 holes during the week as a Pro-Am caddy and standard bearer. She and her daughter also volunteered alongside one another during tournament play.

“During the final two rounds, I was a walking scorer while my daughter served as standard bearer,” Wilson said. “It really was a great experience for us. I will say that my daughter was already interested in the game having played junior golf. However, the tournament really just took [her love for golf] to another level.”