Meet Eduardo Tapper, this month’s participant spotlight. Eduardo began his love for golf with First Tee – Silicon Valley at Baylands Golf Links in Palo Alto when he was only six. Now a rising junior at Sacred Heart Prep, he is giving back by helping to raise funds to underwrite St. Elizabeth Seton’s equipment, training and field trip so kids in East Palo Alto neighborhoods can experience the culture of mentorship with the First Tee – Silicon Valley School Program. “I asked what else I can contribute and started funding an after-school event in addition to collecting more clubs for First Tee that will help later generations.” To date, Eduardo and his golf team has helped to collect over $5,000 in donations and many clubs for participants to use.
Through his efforts and accomplishments, Eduardo has learned valuable life skills that will serve him well for college and beyond. According to Eduardo, ” I’ve learned an entire array of business skills like using Google Sheets, reaching out to people, writing formal emails, getting a glimpse into work life, updating calls, and working with a team.” In addition, his project has given him the ability to quantify his goals, treat his work as a step-by-step process, and improve his decision making as well as to become more efficient in his time management by scheduling out everything. All of which are part of the First Tee – Silicon’s Life Skills curriculum. However, maybe the most important perspective Eduardo has gained is that “It takes a community to drive a strong movement and to understand how such a small change like donating twenty dollars or a single small idea can legitimately change someone’s life.”
Preparing for the Future
One of the biggest goals of FTSV is helping to prepare the participants for the future. The fundraising that Eduardo is facilitating is not only helping provide resources to support other participants, it is developing his own skills that will be valuable later. FTSV encourages our participants to push themselves and take on extra challenges, go above an beyond, and learn through experience to accomplish their biggest goals. Through programs like the First Tee National Opportunities, FTSV Junior Council, volunteer coaching, the ACE Program, and more; FTSV participants have the framework necessary to not only to succeed in the future, but to thrive.
First Tee – Silicon Valley thanks Eduardo for all of his generous work for the program, and can’t wait to see his future plans come to fruition!
Learn more about how you can help!
If you would like to donate to FTSV, please click here. To read more about the opportunities available at FTSV, check out this page on our website.
Published: 06-12-2024