LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Have you ever worn mismatched socks?

New Mexico State women's golfer Amelia McKee does it on purpose – for a purpose.

The junior, who burst onto the scene during her debut season as an Aggie in 2019-20, is unmistakable on the golf course. Her exposed left leg decidedly contrasts her right leg, which always bears a knee-high and NM State-branded sock.

You might think she got dressed in the dark, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

"I started wearing the two different socks when I was 11 to show everyone, especially my cousin, that just because you're different doesn't mean you're not capable of what everyone else can do," McKee said.
 

Her cousin – Cora Jane – is one of McKee's biggest inspirations, as is a group of special-needs children that she worked with while her family lived in California. Her experiences around kids with developmental disorders, namely Down syndrome, have served as the motivation behind using her voice and platform to advocate for those that are "different."

"You learn how different they are, the way they see the world and the way that people see them," McKee said. "They've always been treated different because they've always been considered weird or not normal."

To Aggie head coach Danny Bowen, McKee's activism is an extension of her personality.

"It's been a huge part of her success on the golf side," Bowen said. "She plays her own game and doesn't let the outside influence her decision-making or the way she goes about her life."

Bowen added McKee to his program ahead of the 2019-20 campaign, recruiting the then-sophomore who had transferred from Baylor. Her happy-go-lucky attitude and family-oriented personality was quickly embraced by her teammates.

"She set the tone as the quote unquote team mom last year," Bowen said. "She genuinely cares for everyone on the team, and that's tough to do coming in as a transfer.

"She was accepted from day one, and she in return accepted everyone and really cared for them on and off the golf course."
 

McKee's impact with the Aggies went further than just being a good teammate. The native of Spring, Texas, won two individual titles (Aggie Invitational and UTRGV Invitational) in her first season at NM State and was named the Western Athletic Conference Women's Golfer of the Week once during the shortened year.

Her play on the course helped the Aggies win three team titles (Ptarmigan Ram Classic, Aggie Invitational and UTRGV Invitational) and total six top-four team finishes. She dazzled in the classroom as well, claiming All-American Scholar honors from the Women's Golf Coaches Association.

Throughout her successes and emergence as one of the Aggies' leaders, McKee continues to don her signature look of mismatched socks. She has never lost sight of who and what she plays for.

"[Golf] has a deeper meaning than just winning," McKee said. "It has a deeper meaning than just performing well. I'm out there to show there's so much more to life than just the sport."

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