Varsha Nekkanti from The First Tee of Silicon Valley has been awarded a John Deere Power for Good Scholarship. In addition to earning a $5,000 college scholarship, Nekkanti has won the opportunity to be a VIP guest and play in the pro-am at the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill., July 9–15.
Nekkanti is one of three teens from The First Tee who have earned the scholarship and experience at the John Deere Classic. She was selected from a national pool of applicants based on an essay about how she is a ‘Power for Good’ through service in her community. Her essay included a summary of the impact of her efforts and how her work is connected to the Nine Core Values learned through The First Tee and the game of golf.
Nekkanti is a junior at Notre Dame High School and is captain of her school’s varsity golf team. She has been a participant with The First Tee of Silicon Valley since 2008, and is currently working to certify at the Ace Level, our highest level. Along with this, she is a junior coach and leads after-class “Dig Deeper” sessions to provide participants with an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the golf and life skill curriculum.
Aside from her work at The First Tee of Silicon Valley, Nekkanti aims to be a power for good through her work as President of the Model United Nations club in her school community, where she increases awareness around the underlying causes of societal problems to better equip her peers to address them in the future. To deepen her community service impact and that of those around her, Nekkanti has served as the Service Committee Head of the National Honors Society branch at her school to encourage the practice of giving back to the community and having a tangible impact on the lives of others. She currently leads this organization as President. Currently, Nekkanti combines her passions for education, service, and working with children through the maintenance of her nonprofit, AidAware, that aims to bridge the educational divide by increasing the financial literacy of students and parents in her local community.
As someone who strives to make an impact on my community with my actions, I am very honored to be awarded this John Deere Power for Good Scholarship! Along with this, I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to attend the John Deere classic and play in the pro-am with a PGA Tour professional!
Varsha Nekkanti
This is a well-deserved honor for Varsha given her high academic standing and achievements. We have been very impressed by Varsha’s efforts to have a positive impact on the lives of others and so are very pleased to see her recognized by others.
George Maxe, Executive Director of The First Tee of Silicon Valley
The First Tee is a youth sports organization that introduces kids to the game of golf and its inherent values, and positively impacts their lives.
