Category: Spotlight

Participant Spotlight: Eduardo Tapper

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 participation in First Tee – Silicon Valley’s School Program, which includes equipment, games, training and field trip to Baylands so kids in East Palo Alto neighborhoods can experience the culture of mentorship and engaging lessons of First Tee. “I asked what else I can contribute and started funding an after-school event in addition to collecting more clubs for First Tee – Silicon Valley that will help later generations.”

Coach Phoenix Jarrell-Desch & Eduardo

Eduardo did amazing work to help to collect $7,900 for FTSV Adopt-A-Title 1 School Program and $100,000 for financial aid!  He and his golf team also collected golf clubs for participants to use as part of our used club program to ensure all kids have proper equipment and feel included. 

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 his upcoming tasks. 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 transferable skills that will be valuable later. FTSV encourages our participants to push themselves into their “stretch zone” and take on extra challenges, go above an beyond, collaborate with others, and set specific short-term goals that lead to their biggest goals. Through our classes, and programs like the First Tee National Opportunities, FTSV Junior Council, volunteer coaching, and the ACE Program; 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.

Updated: 05-01-2025 / Published: 06-12-2024

Participant Spotlight: Nico Hernandez

In this month’s spotlight, we are highlighting participant Nico Hernandez, a rising sophomore at Gunn High School in Palo Alto. He was first introduced to First Tee – Silicon Valley by a family friend as early as a kindergartener. Nico is now inspiring a whole new generation of young golfers as a volunteer coach.

Grateful for all that FTSV has done for him, Nico takes pleasure in giving back to the First Tee community, arriving early to help set up for the day’s activities, and staying late for tear down. Nico says, “I’m super passionate about doing whatever I can for our participants because I’ve been there myself. My goal is to become a future generation leader and understand anything they’re going through because I’ve experienced the same thing from my own time as a participant.”

Going beyond the golf course

Nico’s enthusiasm and dedication extends beyond the golf course. He excels in a variety of pursuits, putting the skills of setting and achieving goals that he’s learned from First Tee to work. Not only has he become the fastest swimmer on his swim team, Nico also turned a dream into reality by starring in his own weekly podcast at school. He explains, “Setting goals is like laying out a path to improve and achieve anything you want. When I set a goal, I can easily visualize my progress. It boosts my mental well-being and helps me move forward. Through my time with First Tee, I feel like I’ve not only gotten better at golf but also grown as a person. I’ve learned how to set short-term and long-term goals as steps to achieve my final goal along with my coaches and friends.”

No matter if it’s academics, social interactions, or golf, Nico feels confident to tackle any challenge. His positive attitude and mindful approach to his activities has helped him and the people he’s around to flourish. FTSV looks forward to hearing about your future achievements, Nico!

Nico is a shining example of the kinds of participants and junior coaches that FTSV has in the program.

Be a participant, coach, or mentor like Nico!

Registration for our Summer session opens on Wednesday, May 15th. Please visit the website to learn more about how to register and how to apply as a volunteer coach. 

This story was written by a member of the FTSV Junior Council. Please email [email protected] if you are interested in learning more about our FTSV Junior Council.

Published: 05-03-2024

Coach Spotlight: Joe Stuban

In this month’s coach spotlight, we highlight Joe Stuban.

Easy doesn’t change you. For one to grow, there needs to be a challenge to push the change. This is true of our participants, and it is also true of our coaches. Program Coordinator Joe Stuban faced a unique business situation and shared his experience growing through challenges.

Coach Joe began as a participant in First Tee – Silicon Valley and returned as a part time coach before finally becoming a Program Coordinator. He coaches all age levels, including most of the 9th-12th grade sessions. When he isn’t on the course, you can find Coach Joe in the office, hard at work coordinating the School Program, among other things. This outreach partner program is important to FTSV as it shares the Life Skill curriculum with large numbers of students at their school, introducing them to our organization and the wonderful game of golf.

Challenge Accepted!

In 2019, FTSV engaged 19 schools to take part in our School Program, but in 2020 the growing School Program came to a screeching halt due to COVID. Schools closed down and many of the school staff that we developed a partnership with left, leaving uncertainty about future collaboration with us. On top of those concerns, the school curriculum had to be adapted to accommodate the changing landscape, including safety protocols. Challenge is where one pushes themself to grow, to learn from mistakes, and to adapt, and that is what Coach Joe set out to do.

Coach Joe shared some of the ways that he feels he grew during this transformational time.

 “I learned a lot about myself during this time – how to make adjustments, and how to see progression as a journey and not a straight line. I learned how to be more organized, something that was absolutely necessary during this transition. I learned how to collaboratively communicate with school staff of all levels and picked up new skills in project management, communication, facilitation and delegation During this time, I worked harder than I had ever worked before, determined to turn a challenge into success. What started out as an intimidating, looming challenge ended up being the perfect fuel, just what I needed to push me to be my best self, to rise to the occasion.”

Growing through Challenges

At First Tee – Silicon Valley, the participants are taught how challenge is necessary for growth. We teach tips regarding how to show perseverance,  how to see adversity as informative and an opportunity to learn, and how to learn from others. Having the proper positive perspective is necessary to not just overcome a challenge, but to improve from it. These life skill tips are critical for the development of youth, and is just as important as someone gets older. Coach Joe is a testament to how we can make positive outcomes through challenges. By addressing a business challenge – and growing personally in the process – the First Tee – Silicon Valley School Program is in a better place. We now have over 25 schools with strengthening partnerships!

Thanks Coach Joe!

Join our team, learn/develop coaching skills, make a difference in the youth, and give back to the community! Please help us spread the word. The more positive and dedicated coaches, the better the program, and the more impactful it is for our youth. 

Read More about becoming a coach and mentor. Download the volunteer brochure HERE.

Published: 4-10-2024

Mentor Spotlight: Meet Jeffy Chang

The mentors in First Tee – Silicon Valley are the most important part of the program. It is because of their care, time and effort that we are able to make an impact on our participants. This month, we would like to highlight one of our amazing mentors, meet Jeffy Chang.

Jeffy Chang is a shining example of the role models we are proud to call our coaches at FTSV. For Jeffy, respect is everything. For others, for surroundings, and for one’s self; respect is the foundation that we build our character upon. This foundation is what’s key according to Jeffy, and that “this foundation is how [our participants] are going to approach life…it’s what they build on as a person.” Helping to establish that foundation of respect is an emphasis of Jeffy’s. Talking to the participants lucky enough to work with him, it is clear he is having a very positive impact.

Jeffy started volunteering in 2017

After seeing the impact FTSV was having on his children in their first couple seasons, Jeffy wanted to help make that same impact on others. He noticed, “For my kids, it was a safe haven, and a place that was familiar.” Jeffy began volunteering and never turned back, accumulating over 1800 hours of service to date. He coaches up to 4 classes a week and serves on our Board of Ambassadors, while also working and being there for  his family. Once his kid’s started high school, they also joined as volunteer coaches, so now the Chang’s coach 2-3 classes every Saturday. First to arrive and last to leave on program Saturdays, the entire family puts all First Tee life skills on full display, positively impacting the supportive environment that exists at Rancho del Pueblo.

When asked about why they come back week after week, Jeffy said:

“When we were here on the weekends, I could sense more confidence in my kids. Saturday was their place; they knew how to interact and what to do. School is very different; you don’t see bullying at First Tee and it gives kids the space to grow and push themselves. When you push to challenge yourself, that’s that growth mindset.”

When talking to Jeffy, it’s clear that he sees the learning opportunities of First Tee going beyond what happens on the golf course. The learning doesn’t stop once the participants leave their session. These Life Skills will continue with them into all other aspects of their lives.

Jeffy has advice for parents of First Tee participants, saying:

“There are parents that think we need to just teach them golf, but all of our Life Skill behaviors/tips are things that should start at home; First Tee coaches just reinforce them. I encourage parents, if they aren’t going to volunteer, to please be involved in what we are trying to help their kids learn. It’s going to be that much more effective if you can talk with your kids at home about what they are working on in class and help continue that learning.”

Here at First Tee, we love talking with parents about the Life Skills that we are sharing in our sessions and how we would love to work more directly with them on ways to continue their kids’ learning outside of the golf course. All of the coaches are more than happy to check in. Let’s get to know each other better!

If you too would like to become more involved and make a positive impact on the kids in our community, please visit our website to learn more about the volunteer opportunities available. It is our mentors that make what we do possible. As the significant commitment of our awesome coaches like Jeffy reveal, the greater the involvement of high quality mentors, the greater the positive impact on kids.

Thank you, Jeffy, for all that you and your family give to our First Tee – Silicon Valley community, and thank you to all our First Tee – Silicon Valley mentors!

PUBLISHED: 03-14-2024

First Tee Innovators Forum in SJ – Nancy Rivera Awarded $10,000 scholarship!

First Tee – Silicon Valley participant Nancy Rivera represented First Tee — Silicon Valley exceptionally when she attended the 2021 Innovators Forum in San Jose, CA. Nancy’s continued effort in her community and in her school were large factors into getting accepted to participate and her project gained her a $10,000 scholarship towards continuing her education.

The First Tee Innovators Forum empowered selected First Tee teens to develop a meaningful service project in their communities focusing on raising awareness on global issues focusing on education, health, and sustainability. Twenty-six participants were selected from across the country and had the opportunity to learn from global industry leaders through interactive workshops and small group breakout sessions.

“FTSV was very pleased to have the FT Innovators Forum here in Silicon Valley giving the outstanding participants who attended from around the country a taste of Silicon Valley.” said First Tee – Silicon Valley CEO and President, George Maxe. “That included the inspirational keynote address of Frank Carbajal, the founder of Silicon Valley Leadership Summit at EsTiempo LLC. Frank is an accomplished author and thought leader who spoke to the participants about culture, leadership and performance as well as his upbringing in East San Jose.”

As a result of group workshops and motivating speeches by Frank and others, Nancy narrowed in on her project, which will provide resources to promote and explain higher education in low income and undocumented communities.

“As a first generation in my family to go college and graduate high school, I have faced challenges such as understanding the college application process, college requirements, and federal documents/financial options,” said Nancy. “Being able to have mentors in First Tee and taking the FTSV Educational Ace project has definitely helped me through this difficult and foreign process. I know others in my position are not exposed to the same opportunities or guidance, which led me to think that everyone should have a support system or a place where they are able to go and receive this help for free. For my family and I, it was not just the higher educational process that was challenging or was unknown, but navigating this space in a foreign language that made it that much more challenging, and is why I want to provide this help in Spanish.”

“I want to provide different workshops that can help with the college application process like filling out FAFSA, or preparing for the common application process, or discussing financial options. Many schools do not offer this information and specifically do not offer it in Spanish which is what I would like to change. I want to break down stereotypes and would like our families to see higher education as being possible. I have already started reserving meeting spaces, thanks to my school, to host several of these workshops and hope to have my project up a running by March of 2022. I have had a great go-to team (which is one of the Eagle core life lessons) and I now want to be a go-to person for others in need.”

Her leadership and project work helped her be selected to receive a $10,000 scholarship towards continuing her education! According to Director of Events at First Tee HQ, Brandon Luna, “Nancy is an incredible representation of First Tee! We have great confidence in her project she developed in San Jose and know she has a bright future ahead of her.”  

The Innovators Forum is one of several national opportunities provided by First Tee Headquarters to inspire and equip teens on a deeper level as they progress through the program and toward higher education opportunities. Congratulations Nancy on a well-deserved honor! We are very proud of her and of her actions to make this world a better place for all!

To apply for the national opportunities, one must progress through our program to the advance levels of our program. To find out more about our national opportunities, please visit our youth opportunity page.

Coach Spotlight: Robby Keith New Coordinator

First Tee – Silicon Valley is thrilled by the addition of Robby Keith as a new, full-time Program Coordinator. Robby was a long-time FTSV participant who completed our program achieving Ace Certification. He attended Valley Christian High School in San Jose, then graduated from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont with a degree in kinesiology. He has been a part-time FTSV Program Instructor ever since his high school graduation. Robby brings a wealth of knowledge of FTSV and our curriculum to his new role. “We’re looking forward to big contributions to our core staff from Robby.” said George Maxe, FTSV President & CEO. “He was a shining star as a participant who will make FTSV better and better as a full-time employee. Robby passion for FTSV and building the character of kids is contagious.” FTSV’s Program Coordinators may be either full-time or part-time. Either way, they take on the role of FTSV Program Instructors with a greater responsibility for FTSV’s program logistics. Each Program Coordinator has a focus regarding certain aspects of our program in addition to being responsible for all administrative components including registration, coach facilitation, and much much more. They play a critical part in maintaining and improving the quality of our instruction. You can learn more about our Program Coordinators by reading their bio’s on our Staff & Board page. Robby may be reached at [email protected] or 408-288-2934.

Athina Achieves Ace Certification

First Tee – Silicon Valley is so proud to announce that Athina Chen achieved Ace certification. She has demonstrated an outstanding work ethic, a dedication to self-improvement, and a commitment to helping others. We are fortunate to have had her in our program for 9 years. Athina expressed how FTSV has impacted her, “Through classes and junior coaching, FTSV has taught me life skills and given me opportunities to build relationships with others. I am very grateful to have talked to so many people, and I really enjoyed going to a national opportunity where I met people of very diverse backgrounds. Overall, it was a fun experience, and I really appreciate all the participants, friends, and coaches that contributed to my First Tee experience.” “I am impressed with the number of hours and effort she put in to not only complete the Ace binder, but to complete all of her requirements throughout the First Tee curriculum. Well done, Athina! I have no doubt she will continue to use the skills learned in FTSV to help shape a better world,” stated Program Director Chris Moreno-Hunt. Athina is now part of a select and distinguished First Tee Alumni group and network which provides access to additional education, leadership, career, internship and networking opportunities. Achieving Ace certification involves meeting all 4 FTSV level (PLAYer, Par, Birdie, Eagle) requirements and completing the 4 Ace projects (Career, Golf, Education, Volunteerism) with their corresponding independent study work. Upon completion, the work is reviewed by the First Tee headquarters. Congratulations, Athina! Even though she has completed the program, she remains an active advocate and member of FTSV. This month she will be speaking at our Classic golf tournament on September 20th at Baylands Golf Links to share her FTSV experience with supporter. We thank her for being an outstanding role model for others.

Shivani Receives Joyce Taylor Award & $4K Scholarship at Invitational

The Joyce Taylor Eagle Award and $4,000 College Scholarship was presented to Shivani Patel at the First Tee – Silicon Valley 2021 Invitational fundraiser on Sunday, July 18th at CordeValle in San Martin, CA. Shivani was selected for consistently achieving academic excellence and exhibiting First Tee Nine Core Values and Life Skills. The purpose of the award is to provide a high school student the financial hope of attending college. For Shivani, she wants to major in bio-science. The scholarship was initiated by a very generous 9-year grant by PG&E several years ago by founding FTSV Board Director, Victor Arrañaga, Jr. Thank you to all our Invitational sponsors that help fund our programs:  The returning sponsors were: Anheuser Busch, Altria, HP, Intuit, PG&E, PhRMA, SDG&E/SEMPRA, Noteware, Pappas and the new sponsor was Uber. Shivani is a rising senior at Silver Creek High School. She joined FTSV in 2014 when she was in the 4th grade and is now a top-level ACE participant and Junior Coach.  In her speech to the Invitational attendees, she shared “I had no idea how much the organization would positively impact my life. First Tee is a place that teaches you golf, but also teaches you life skills and helps you build relationships that you will have with you for the rest of your life.” She went on to tell a story about her golf journey, “I vividly remember the first time I swung a golf club, in fact, it was at my first ever PLAYER class. I remember it feeling strange and my ball not getting far off the ground. Over time, First Tee coaches and participants guided me in turning my funky baseball-tennis-golf swing into a true golf swing. Because of them, I was able to play at many girls’ golf events and in the #1 spot for my high school’s varsity girl’s golf team. I know that without the FTSV’s support I would not have been able to make it to this point in my golf journey.” Aside from golf, Shavani stressed the importance of the relationships she has formed every season with her coaches, her peers, and other leaders. She acknowledged the coaches genuinely want to see me be the best version of myself and give me the tools and confidence to do just that. They instill core values in participants to set them on a path to be good people and great leaders.  She said, “First Tee has taught me values like perseverance and courtesy, but my favorite has to be integrity. I use integrity when keeping track of my score on the course and, especially now, when making decisions about my future. I believe self-integrity is about being true to your values and reflecting these principles through your actions.” Shavani was also selected for her active role in her high school and community. Her accomplishments include the following:
  • Varsity Swimmer at SCHS
  • Founding Member, Captain & MVP of SCHS Girls Golf Team
  • Founder & Secretary of SCHS Cognitive Science Club
  • Founder & Publicist of SCHS Girls Who Code chapter
  • Creative Commissioner of SCHS STEAM Lab Club
  • Volunteer at Kaiser-Permanente
  • Ambassador level Girl Scout
She concluded her speech by saying, “I am honored to be the one representing the First Tee of Silicon Valley with this award. Without the First Tee, I would not be the person I am today. I would not have the same skills, the same values, or have the same confidence in myself and even in those around me. I would also like to thank all those who sponsor this First Tee chapter. Your contributions and involvement impact many young lives, and for that we are thankful.” Joyce Taylor (1957–2010) was a woman known for her intelligence, warmth, and elegance. She graduated with honors (Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of Oklahoma (OU) with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism. Joyce became a highly successful and respected business woman and community leader with a long career in telecommunications. In 1997, she was promoted to Regional President, Bay Area, and then Senior Vice President, External Affairs-Northern California, AT&T, where she oversaw legislative, governmental and external affairs activities in Northern California. Joyce worked extensively with Bay Area business and community-based organizations. Her support of the Eagles at Rancho del Pueblo junior golf program was instrumental to its growth and success. In 2005, the program became First Tee — Silicon Valley to develop the character of youth through golf throughout Santa Clara County. Joyce’s support helped to build a solid program that has reached over 81,234 youth since 2005. The Joyce Taylor Eagle Award is given annually to provide financial assistance for college to a participant who has consistently achieved academic excellence and exhibited First Tee Nine Core Values and Life Skills.

Dimarco Awarded $4K Dennis Kettmann Memorial Scholarship

The 2021 Dennis Kettmann Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Dimarco Casillas, an ACE level participant of First Tee – Silicon Valley.  Each year golfers in the Dennis Kettmann Memorial Tournament raise funds to remember Dennis. Their generosity underwrites a special $5,000 college scholarship for a FTSV chosen participant. Dennis’s son and co-organizer of the Memorial Tournament, Matt Kettmann, learned the game from Dennis and knows that he must be smiling wherever he is knowing that his memory is now helping young people with FTSV pursue their college dreams. David Henningsen, who is also a co-organizer (featured in photo) shared, “It is so wonderful to have the recipient of the “Big D” scholarship play in our tournament and speak to the supporters about how FTSV has impacted him.” FTSV met Dimarco at a DRIVE school outreach event in Fischer Middle School located in San Jose. He began our program soon after the outreach event in the Spring of 2019. After taking several certifying and skills advancement classes, he quickly progressed to our top ACE level. Dimarco has excelled in the program, absorbing and exhibiting our core values and life skills. When he began our program, he had no golf experience yet after one year he made his high school golf team! He leads by example, shows up early to each class to practice, initiates conversations with his peers and coaches, and has a welcoming and positive approach to everyone he meets. We are excited to see Dimarco reach his goals and we are committed to being on his “Go-To-Team” as he continues his character-building and collegiate journey.

Franky Chosen as SCVCC Junior Honorary Member

Franky Sumcad, was chosen to be a Silver Creek Valley Country Club Junior Honorary Member. SCVCC created this program to support young, prominent, local golfers as well as grow the game of golf.  Franky will have access to the club to practice, work at junior clinics, and be a role model for the club’s youth. She has been in the First Tee Silicon Valley since 2012 and has progressed to our Ace level. Additionally, she has been an volunteer coach for several years coaching our younger participants. “My favorite LPGA player is Yuka Saso because she’s a trailblazer.” said Franky. “She’s young but she won the first ever gold medal for the Philippines in the Asian Games and she recently won the U.S. Women’s Open. As a young Filipino golfer myself, it’s always encouraging to see representation.” Franky aspires to make the LPGA or find a career that involves golf, be that as an instructor or something different. Outside of golf, English and writing have always interested her.  She is very busy this summer with competing in many golf tournaments. Past: May 29-30 – JTNC Rooster Run June 2-4 – California Women’s Championship Ojai Valley Inn June 9 – CCS June 10 – USGA Junior Girls Qualifier June 14 – JGANC Junior world Qualifier Corica June 21-25 – NCGA CWAC June 28 – USGA women’s amateur qualifier July 5-7 – NCGA 17th Women’s Amateur Championship July 12-13 – NCGA junior Lake Merced July 21-22 – JGANC Lincoln Park July 26 – Corena Green Classic August 2-3 – JGANC Diablo Creek Franky is one of the three females that are honorary members.  Franky is in high company as the other two are Katherine Zhu and Sabrina Iqbal.   Katherine Zhu is the #1 player and Captain of the Cal Women’s team and former AJGA All American.   Sabrina Iqbal plays at TCU and has won the CIF State Championship, NCGA Junior Amateur, CA State Amateur, and SF City Championship. SCVCC is going to be hosting a Skins Game featuring its Junior Honorary Members on November 27th.  All the proceeds with go to the First Tee and Youth On Course. Congratulations Franky!

Isabella Chosen for YOC-TaylorMade DRIVE Club

FTSV participant Isabella Herrera was one of 55 members chosen for the Youth on Course (YOC) + TaylorMade DRIVE Club. Selected members are outstanding kids who participate in community service, are academically strong, and are committed to making the game of golf more inclusive.  YOC partnered with TaylorMade Golf Company to provide further access to the game along with mentorship and support from industry professionals with the ultimate goal of increasing diversity amongst the golf industry at large.

Isabella has been involved in the FTSV program with her entire family for over 5 years and is currently an Eagle participant.  She shared her sentiments, “Diversity, inclusion and equity is really important to the game of golf. It is something it lacks and I am glad to see more of it because of this program.” “We are thrilled for Isabella.” says First Tee Silicon Valley Program Director, Chris Moreno-Hunt, “She has excelled in our program with her interpersonal communication and through her hard work. In addition to participating in all of our seasonal classes, she also caddies at local country clubs. She is a natural leader, and will make an outstanding DRIVE club participant. We are so proud of her!”

The newly-minted initiative, known as The DRIVE Club (an acronym for Diversity. Respect. Inclusion. Voice. Equity.), highlights a special subset of the YOC membership that will earn additional benefits through their commitment to play. The YOC and TaylorMade partnership aims to inspire its members through camaraderie and an all-encompassing team-like atmosphere.

The 55 members of the DRIVE Club, who reside in select markets for phase one of the initiative, will have access to play YOC partner facilities for just $1. Club members can also earn TaylorMade equipment and gear simply by playing a game they love. The more they play, the more they earn. Additionally, this partnership aims to help DRIVE Club members hone their skills on the course, with complimentary lessons provided by TaylorMade staff professionals at various locations, including the acclaimed Pebble Beach Resort.

“DRIVE Club is important to TaylorMade for many reasons,” says TaylorMade CEO David Abeles. “The betterment of the game is central to who we are, and we fully embrace that responsibility. It goes beyond engineering the highest performance equipment to help people play better golf. There’s a human and social element that we lean into, intrinsically with how the game brings people together and allows us to bond over a shared experience. DRIVE Club embodies those values, and we’re proud to partner with Youth on Course to bring it to life.”

The 100 Hole Hike is YOC’s marquee fundraising effort, with over $1M raised annually from individual and collective efforts that take place nationwide.  FTSV’s own Board Director Ron Hallagan braving participated and raised over $26,000 plus an additional generous matching gift to FTSV.

“The formation of the DRIVE Club, in partnership with TaylorMade, will help us continue to identify young people who are passionate about golf, education, and giving back, and create additional support systems to help them achieve their goals on and off the course,” says Michael Lowe, VP of Programs for YOC and FTSV Volunteer Coach.

Committed to making the game more appealing, inclusive and accessible to nurture the next generation of lifelong players and lovers of the game, YOC gives its members opportunities to grow on and off the course. Offering subsidized rounds of golf, YOC members can play at more than 1,400 courses across the country for $5 or less. First Tee of Silicon Valley is proud to partner with YOC to provide memberships through our program. Participants can register for Youth on Course cards through our registration page on our website. Additionally, we partner with YOC to promote their paid internship, scholarships, and caddying opportunities to our participants. For more information, please either visit our youth opportunity page, or go directly to the youth on course page.  www.youthoncourse.org/join.

About Youth on Course

The core purpose of Youth on Course is to help young people grow and succeed both on and off the course by providing opportunities to play, learn, grow, and build relationships through affordable, inclusive access to play. More than 100,000 members play more than 1,400 golf courses for $5 or less, benefit from career opportunities through the caddie and internship program and receive college scholarships. Headquartered in Pebble Beach, Youth on Course is a 501(c)3 organization that began as the charitable arm of the Northern California Golf Association. Since 2006, more than one million subsidized rounds have been played by Youth on Course members and more than $2 million has been awarded in college scholarships. Across North America, Youth on Course serves all of the United States of America and parts of Canada.

About TaylorMade

Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, TaylorMade Golf is a leading manufacturer of high-performance golf equipment, golf balls and accessories with industry-leading innovative products like SIM2 metalwoods, SIM2 irons, P•Series irons, TP5/TP5x golf balls and Spider putters. A major force across the world’s professional tours, TaylorMade has an unrivaled athlete portfolio that includes Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler, Matthew Wolff, Collin Morikawa, Harry Higgs, SH Park, Charley Hull, Maria Fassi and Sierra Brooks.

Summer of Opportunity!

Every year participants from our Ace level are selected to apply for the First Tee National opportunities. Competition for the opportunities is high and spaces are limited. To be selected, applicants must meet the requirements set forth by First Tee National, and must write several short essays, add in their accomplishments in and out of the classroom, and include their letters of recommendations. Applicants from across the country apply for the limited spaces and recipients get to experience opportunities of a life time. This year we are thrilled to announce the acceptance of 9 of our Ace participants: Kelly, Borina, Rachel, Sophie, Jonathan, Nancy, Rachana, Athina, and Calvin (pictures shown left to right) to various First Tee National opportunities. Borina Sutikto and Sophie Thai were accepted to the inaugural First Tee National Championship held at Clemson University Golf Course June 20-25. They tied for 2nd place with a three-day total of 1 over par! Congratulations to Sophie and Borina for their outstanding golf accomplishment. Click here to learn more. In June, Athina Chen, Rachana Ajjarapu, and Kelly Yu were all accepted to the Game Changers Academy to be held July 20th-24th in Philadelphia, PA. Throughout the four days they will take part in workshops exploring topics that encourage personal growth and promote understanding of diversity concepts that foster positive change in the community. Click here to learn more. Last week we received word that Nancy Rivera and Jonathan Tessmann were accepted to the First Tee Leadership Summit in West Creek Montana. The weeklong event in August will include collaborative workshops as well as dynamic outdoor team-building activities that will explore concepts of relationship building, positive risk taking, and identifying character strengths. Click here to learn more. Earlier this season, Borina Sutikto was one of 12 high school graduates selected from around the country (over 250 program locations nationwide) to the First Tee College Scholarship Program. The Scholarship Program supports alumni throughout their college career in an effort to further their life skill development and mentorship. The need and merit-based program provides scholarships up to $5,000 per year, renewable for up to four years of college admission. The program also provides professional development workshops, and access to internships and full-time employment placement post-graduation. Click here to read the full story and to watch the surprise video. Lastly, we learned earlier this week that four of our FTSV Ace participants were selected to the PURE Insurance Tournament supporting First Tee at historic Pebble Beach Golf Course in Monterey, CA. Rachel Troung, Calvin Kong, Sophie Thai, and Borina Sutikto were 4 of 81 top First Tee golfers from around the country selected to participate in this prestigious event. Acceptance to the PURE Insurance Championship is based heavily on their golf acumen and resume coupled with their demonstration of strong character. Each participant is paired with a top senior professional tour golfer and the tournament is televised on Golf Channel. Click here to learn more. “We are proud and excited to have Borina, Sophie, Nancy, Jonathan, Athina, Rachana, Kelly, Calvin, and Rachel represent our chapter at these national opportunities,” says First Tee – Silicon Valley Program Director, Chris Moreno-Hunt. “We are fortunate to have had all 9 in our program over the years and be able to watch them develop their self-management, interpersonal, and resiliency skills. They all have a positive demeanor, show care for others, and work extremely hard to be successful. What more can you ask for!” Please join us in congratulating our participants for their outstanding achievement. Acceptance to these opportunities is a product of the work they put in and the commitment they demonstrated to progress through our program. To find out more regarding our local, regional, and national opportunities please visit our youth opportunity page.