Isabella Herrera and Marissa Wei from First Tee — Silicon Valley have been selected to attend the First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. in Philadelphia. They are 2 of 72 teens from the First Tee network who have been selected for the five-day learning and empowerment academy and will participate in important conversations around issues of identity, racism, diversity, equity, empathy and inclusion. RISE, a national leader in the sports community championing social justice and working to improve race relations, will facilitate engaging and interactive workshops paired with introspective activities and reflections led by our nationally trained First Tee coaches. The experience is designed to enlighten, inspire, encourage, and position the teens to be advocates for justice and social change in their current and future communities.
Meet our Game Changers Participants
Isabella is a rising senior and has been a highly engaged participant since 2013. She has taken multiple classes each year, participated in our Girls Golf program, represented our chapter at PGA TOUR Superstore events, has volunteered at our community outreach events, and coached classes. Isabella is also an Ace program participant, taking on the extra challenge as she works to become Ace certified. According to Isabella, “A game changer is someone who is constantly pushing personal and societal boundaries in order to create a lasting impact on the world around them.” She does so consistently in her role as a junior coach, leading and teaching by example. She also pushes herself as a member of the Youth On Course Leadership Council, advocating for her peers on a national level. We are excited to have Isabella represent out chapter at this event.
Marissa has been a dedicated FTSV participant for the last 9 years, taking both regular and now Ace classes. She stands out as a participant who really embodies the Life Skills taught in First Tee, demonstrating her understanding of what it means to be a Game Changer through her actions. On and off the golf course, Marissa is inclusive, kind and resilient. In her application, she wrote that “Integrity is the foundation of a game changer. To be a game changer means to do the right thing because it is valued in your heart and not to just do what is easy.” Let’s go Marissa!
The event will be held at Villanova University, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Selected participants will be housed at the Good Counsel Hall dormitory at Villanova and golf programming will take place at Walnut Lane Golf Club and Merion Golf Club.
First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. is one of several national opportunities provided by First Tee headquarters designed to inspire and encourage high school students on a deeper level as they progress through the program and toward higher education opportunities. The Academy honors First Tee’s former CEO, Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., who led the organization from 2000 until his retirement in 2017.
Congratulations Isabella and Marissa!
Published: 06-14-2024