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 2^nd 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 20^th-24^th 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.