Alexandra Varo and Raashika Biswari from First Tee — Silicon Valley have been selected to attend the First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. in Philadelphia, July 18-22, 2023. 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!
Alexandra is a rising senior at Willow Glen High School in San Jose and has been a highly engaged participant. Since beginning as a participant, she has taken a class in every season, participated in our Girls Golf program, represented our chapter at a PGA TOUR Superstore event, and has been an active volunteer coach for the past year. “Being a game changer means helping your community and being the change that your community needs,” said Alexandra. To that point she is part of her school’s Latinx club and helps plan cultural events to support her community. She is a high achieving student at school receiving honor rolls.
Raashika is a rising senior at Monta Vista High School. She has been in our program for over 5 years and a volunteer coach for 2 years. She completed all of our past levels, and completed all 4 of our Ace (now Future Planning) project seminars. Outside of our normal 8-week program, she participated in our Girls Golf events, and local tournaments. She also took part in the PGA TOUR Superstore Leadership Series. Outside of First Tee she started a non-profit called Art/STEM where she partners with other non-profits to conduct workshops for her community. Most recently she worked together on a Q&A emphasizing and encouraging women in STEM.
“Alexandra and Raashika are leaders in and outside of our program and are taking action in their communities to be positive difference makers,” says FTSV Program Director, Chris Moreno-Hunt. “Acceptance in the Game Changers Academy will provide valuable lessons and experiences which will equip them with the tools to give back and make positive change. We are proud of who they are, what they have accomplished here at FTSV, and how they want to make this world a better place. We are excited to see them pursue their goals in order to shape the future.”
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 Alexandra and Raashika!
