On the morning of August 9, 2015, at GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford Hills, N.Y., Micaa’ Thomas anxiously awaited the start of the inaugural LPGA Leadership Academy, a first-of-its-kind program designed by LPGA*USGA Girls Golf to keep teenage girls engaged in the game while preparing them for leadership opportunities on and off the course.

As she watched dozens of other girls make their way into the classroom area, Thomas was just as excited as she was nervous. Because even though she had been playing competitive golf for five years at that point, it was mostly with boys, so being surrounded with other girls who loved golf just as much as she did was a new experience.

Despite some natural apprehension, Thomas remained committed to putting herself out there and making the most of this two-day experience that featured classroom sessions, golf activities, and leadership panels led by women in the industry.

Thomas may not have realized it after finishing the program the following day, but over time, she has come to appreciate how the LPGA Leadership Academy served as the springboard for her record-breaking achievement on the course and her inspiring career off it.

“The LPGA Leadership Academy played a significant role in my growth and success,” Thomas explained. “It’s hard to explain, but seeing girls that are in the room with you, no matter who they are or what they look like, they’re girls. They are you! This helped me hone in on my confidence and say, ‘They’re out there doing it too, so why can’t I?’ Representation matters, no matter what it looks like or where it’s from.”

Thomas grew up in Bowie, MD., a city located roughly 40 minutes northeast of Washington D.C. Even from a young age, she loved competition and pushed herself to be the best she could be. Naturally, this led her to try all types of sports, but it was golf that ultimately stuck.

“I have tried it all, but truthfully, I was not very good at any of them,” Thomas said with a laugh. “I eventually figured out that I was best when something was put in my hands, like a softball bat, tennis racket, or golf club. But golf specifically stood out because of the networking and friendships I developed throughout the years.

“It’s also the ebbs and flows of the game. It lights a fire in me when I step out on the course, and even this many years later, I still want to chase that little white ball around, and I still aspire to compete at the highest level as a professional on the LPGA Tour.”

Once she settled on golf, Thomas quickly signed up for various local junior programs, but they all shared one common trait: boys far outnumbered the girls. For Thomas, this just seemed normal at the time, but all that would change when she was invited to take part in the LPGA Leadership Academy.

“I was honestly shocked when I walked into that room because I really grew up just playing with guys,” Thomas shared. “It was such an amazing time! The benefit of being only around girls was how it helped to hone in on my confidence in the sport, where you traditionally just see men. It was an eye-opening moment to have so many girls in one room. I still use many of the skills I learned from the academy to this day, on and off the golf course.”

This experience was transformational for a number of reasons, as Thomas made new friends in the girl’s golf community, learned from certified female coaches, and networked with top female executives. Thomas also developed various leadership skills that were immediately put into play when she returned to her high school girl’s golf team, which she personally launched as the first one in her school’s history just the year prior.

“Creating a girl’s golf team at my high school was just the beginning of my journey,” Thomas explained. “Attending the LPGA Girls Golf Academy could not have come at a better time, as it reinforced my passion for growing the game and developing as a player. The academy also deepened my commitment to the sport and my role in inspiring other young girls, like the ones at my school.

“I truly think that’s what Girls Golf is. It’s breaking the glass ceiling in golf and outside of it.”

Upon returning to school, Thomas managed to become a role model and leader for her team. But for Thomas, it was about more than just creating a program – it was about working together to learn and improve at the game and becoming a community. Nearly a decade later, the team is still going strong at her high school.

In addition to her life-changing experience at the Leadership Academy, Thomas later received two scholarships from Girls Golf. These paved the way for her eventual full-ride scholarship at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where she majored in Visual Effects and Animation and competed on the women’s golf team all four years.

“To receive the scholarships was a huge blessing at the time and still is,” Thomas said. “To say I was one of the first recipients of the scholarships was incredible and it was a huge confidence boost for a 16-year-old. It also helped to alleviate some of those financial burdens for my parents. They’re the greatest support system of all time, and have been since then, so it was nice to be able to do that for not just myself but my family as well.”

These scholarships added fuel to an already raging fire, as Thomas set out to do more than just compete at SCAD… she wanted to make history there. And with her confidence at an all-time high, she did just that as a freshman.

Thomas earned Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Player of the Week and two Tournament Team honors during the regular season, but that was only just the start. This success extended to the postseason, where Thomas became the first freshman and first African American to win the AAC Women’s Golf Individual Championship. This qualified her team to compete at the National Championship.

“It felt so amazing to make history there!” Thomas said. “I truly believe the lessons I learned in Girls Golf prepared me to become a leader for my team as a freshman. They also helped me to find success beyond the golf course too.”

After graduating from college, she put her creativity to use, writing a children’s book titled, “Penny and the Peanut: A Story About Food Allergies.” The story follows two best friends who face an unexpected experience when one of them has a severe allergic reaction to peanut butter cookies.

The award-winning book is an educational opportunity for children to learn key life-saving strategies to utilize in the event of a medical emergency. It has since been endorsed by the Texas Children’s Hospital. The Foreword was written by Dr. Sara Anvari and is being sold everywhere online. So far, the book has helped over 400 families across the United States.

Thomas clearly keeps herself busy, but golf remains her first love. She aspires to compete on the LPGA Tour and is currently working her way up the ranks on the ANNIKA Women’s All-Pro Tour and the NXXT Women’s Pro Golf Tour. Thomas has also competed in LPGA Q-Series and plans to do so again in the fall of 2025.

For Thomas, breaking through as a professional golfer is about more than just her success. As an African American, she wants to inspire future generations of girls to follow in her footsteps.

“Being an African-American woman in professional golf is incredibly special to me,” Thomas said. “I know I stand on the shoulders of the Black professionals who came before me, but I can not help but think about the other side of it, too. For example, if you look at the numbers, African Americans make up less than one percent of all professional golfers—a number that stays on my mind as I work to inspire the next generation of girls to take up the game."

This personal goal falls directly in line with Girls Golf, which in 2023 celebrated the major milestone of reaching its millionth girl in program history. In honor of that achievement, the LPGA Foundation and Girls Golf launched the One Million MORE Girls campaign, which set a goal of introducing the next one million girls to golf by 2030. As one of the first million young athletes to come through the program, Thomas knows firsthand how valuable it, and golf, is.

“It is imperative for girls to play golf, whether they see themselves making it on tour or just succeeding in their career,” Thomas explained. “I promise you, golf will take you to wherever you want to go. There are plenty of business deals made on the course, where girls and women typically are not found, so as a girl golfer, you are a diamond in the rough.”

Thomas certainly recognizes there is still work to be done to reach the LPGA Tour, but she could not be more ready for the challenge. In her opinion, it all starts with confidence, which is another lesson the LPGA Leadership Academy taught her back in 2015.

“I truly cannot express how critical the confidence-building and leadership lessons were,” Thomas said. “Doing something as simple as the ‘Superwoman pose’ really helped me, and it still does. In fact, that’s something my trainer and I work on consistently. We stress how confidence really helps you mentally, and especially in elevating your energy to a higher level.”

This is just one of the many lessons the LPGA Leadership Academy has instilled in nearly 1,200 girls over the last decade. Using these new skills, academy graduates have gone on to find success academically, athletically, personally, and professionally, just like Thomas.

Now, as she prepares for another summer chasing her dreams at golf courses across the country, Thomas will no doubt lean on those same LPGA Leadership Academy lessons that empowered her in the past as she charges toward her goal of leaving the game better than she found it.

For those interested in supporting the One Million MORE Girls campaign, please consider donating here. Even the smallest gift can be the difference in providing girls like Micaa’ the opportunity to transform their lives through golf.

One In A Million: Micaa’ Thomas Breaks Glass Ceilings On And Off The Course

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