Class of 2025: Veteran Rob Starr finds new purpose in turfgrass management
Trading dress blues for golf greens, Starr discovered a new course — and a new calling — through Virginia Tech’s Agricultural Technology program.
Name: Rob Starr
College: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Major: Agricultural technology, landscape, and turf management
Hometown: From Virginia Beach, Virginia, and currently residing in Carroll County
Plans after graduation: Assistant superintendent at High Meadows Golf and Country Club in Roaring Gap, North Carolina
After retiring from the U.S. Coast Guard and working in emergency management with the U.S. Air Force, Starr found himself facing a new kind of challenge — a job that kept him indoors, sedentary, and staring at a computer screen for most of the day. It didn’t feel right.
“All the jobs I qualified for and could earn a decent living at required me to be inside and sitting at a desk most of the time,” Starr said. “I found myself being too sedentary, and I really do not enjoy sitting in front of a computer during the precious hours of my day. I just don't want to spend my valuable time that way. I'm not wired like that.”
Starr reached a turning point one morning while operating a greens mower at a local golf course, where he worked part-time on weekends.
“I always loved working at a golf course and love plants and plant science,” he said. “I asked myself, 'Why in the world aren’t I doing this full time?'”
From dress blues to golf greens
Starr already held a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Old Dominion University and a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College. He enrolled in Virginia Tech’s two-year Agricultural Technology Program because of its hands-on learning approach and outstanding reputation for 100 percent job placement.
The landscape and turf management option, with an emphasis in golf and sports turf management, offered a direct path to his goal of becoming an assistant golf course superintendent.
The program’s hands-on experiences related directly to his chosen career. As part of his required 10-week internship, Starr worked at Cross Creek Country Club in Mount Airy, North Carolina.
“It helped me gain a little more experience to successfully land the assistant superintendent job I will be starting in May,” he said.
Thriving on a new course
Despite being a 49-year-old nontraditional student, Starr found a strong sense of belonging in the Virginia Tech community.
“Just going to class every day and the fact the younger generation of my fellow student colleagues accepted me — that’s something I’ll always remember,” he said. “They are an awesome group of future leaders.”
Now graduating with a 4.0 GPA and recognitions as the ag tech program’s Outstanding Graduate and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Champion Award winner, Starr is launching his new career in turfgrass management.
He’s accepted a position as assistant superintendent at High Meadows Golf and Country Club in Roaring Gap, North Carolina — exactly the role he set his sights on when he enrolled in the program just two years ago.
Reflecting on his time at Virginia Tech, Starr said he’s grateful for the personal and professional transformation the past two years have offered.
“I learned a lot about plant science, and I really appreciate the time and energy that all the instructors put forward to make this an enjoyable educational experience,” he said.