Tag: December 2023

FTSV’s Li An Panfil Selected for First Tee College Scholarship

First Tee – Silicon Valley participant and Junior Coach Li An Panfil has been selected for the First Tee College Scholarship program. During her four years in college, Li An will receive an educational grant to help with tuition, as well as access to personal development workshops, internships and employment opportunities post-graduation. Additionally, Li An will be matched with an adult mentor, someone who will act as a resource and motivator as she goes through college. Congratulations Li An on the recognition of all your hard work!

Li An was selected for this program because of her stand-out participation during the First Tee Leadership Summit, as well as her long track record of hard work within First Tee – Silicon Valley. This leadership summit is one of the National Opportunities available to our participants who go above and beyond, providing workshops and learning experiences aimed around developing leadership skills. Li An was at home as a leader here, rising to the occasion and making the most of this opportunity, attracting the attention of facilitators and eventually being selected for the scholarship. We are so proud to have Li An representing us on a national scale.

We had the opportunity to ask Li An about how First Tee has impacted her

“First Tee has played a big role in developing my perseverance”. Having been in the program since the third grade, she has really grown up in First Tee, moving through the different golf skills, and most importantly, life skill lessons. For her, the Goal Ladder stands out the most. She said “[the] goal ladder has really helped me. It has become a natural part of when I plan things, I don’t even have to specifically think about it”.

With tools for building achievable, measurable goals, Li An continues to accomplish what she sets her mind to. This includes doing very well academically, excelling as a junior coach, and, in the future, being accepted into a college where she will continue to thrive.

As a junior coach, Li An has been a rockstar. Her attitude and kindness shine through the work she does, as she passes on the life skills First Tee has taught her down to the next generation. Not only does she work to help bring up others, Li An also gets personal fulfillment out of coaching. When asked, she said “[the participants] put me in a good mood. Seeing people I know and them remembering things about me, and people showing that they care brings me up. It’s a big community feeling, showing that I am making a big impact, spreading knowledge and helping people to improve and be their best self.”

For her next steps, Li An is currently planning on attending a four-year university, now with the support of the College Scholar program. In the future, she wants to pursue a career in healthcare, a field where her perseverance, positive attitude and innate care for others will definitely play a role. Congratulations again Li An!

If you are interested in more information on our National Opportunities, please visit our website or reach out to Program Coordinator Phoenix ([email protected]).

FTSV Participants Awarded Ace Certification Status!

First Tee – Silicon Valley is excited to share that two of our participants, Katelyn Chan and Shivam Maji were awarded the distinguished honor of being Ace Certified!

Ace is the highest level of certification at First Tee and less than 1% of First Tee participants from across the country achieve Ace-certification. As a result of their hard work, Katelyn and Shivam will receive local and national recognition from First Tee for completing their Ace classes and the post-class documents. More importantly, their work in our Ace classes helped them apply the First Tee Life Skills to college and career exploration, and to their give-back volunteer opportunities. The Ace classes also assisted in developing transferable skills that will aid them in their professional development.

Meet Katelyn Chan

She was in our program from 2012 to 2023 and was a volunteer coach since 2021. Throughout her time with us, she participated in several seasons each year, attended our Leadership Series, and was selected for the National Leadership Academy in Montana. Recently she was awarded the Make Your Mark Scholarship for her application of First Tee Life Skills to a community project. In her time with FTSV, she was a positive influence on her peers and coaches and led by example by putting her goals into action and demonstrating care for others. She is now a freshman at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo studying statistics.

“The Fall Ace-Education class was the most helpful to me because it included doing research on how to pay for college,” said Katelyn. “Many students limit the number of private schools they apply to because they fear the financial costs, however, we learned how accessible scholarships and grants are. Not only did we do research on the variety of scholarships that are on the internet, but we were also taught about budgeting and identifying the different types of financial options available to us when pursuing college.”

Meet Shivam Maji

He is a senior at Lynbrook high school. Shivam has been in our program since 2017 and began volunteering with us in 2023. Shivam excelled in our classes each year, took initiative by applying the skills, and always sought out ways to improve himself and his surroundings. “I found the career project to be especially valuable for me,” said Shivam. “The introspective lessons really helped me to think about and explore my interests and skills, learn about different jobs, and create a career action plan. The class motivated me to dive into networking, seek internships, and make connections that really made applying to college so much easier. I’d really like to thank First Tee – Silicon Valley, and Coach Chris and Coach George for jumpstarting my professional development.”

To be an Ace-certified, participants must be:

  • at least 14 years old
  • be in our program for a minimum of 3 years; and attend a minimum of 2 seasons per year.
  • Attend our 4 Ace-Future Planning Classes (Career, Golf, Education, Give-Back)
  • Complete the 4 Ace-Future Planning post class documents
  • Submit a letter of recommendation
  • Be selected by a panel of First Tee National judges

Congratulations Katelyn and Shivam for your outstanding work and contributions to our chapter and to your community! Our chapter is better because both of you. We are excited for your future and the impact you will continue to make on others.

To find out more about our Ace-Future Planning classes and how to be Ace-certified, please reach out to [email protected] or 408-508-4884.

FTSV Participant Katelyn Chan Awarded Make Your Mark Grant!

Congratulations to FTSV Participant Katelyn Chan for being awarded the Make Your Mark Grant!

Through the Ace Giving Back to the Community class, Ace First Tee participants like Katelyn have an opportunity to make their mark on their community, and leave behind a legacy of impact and service to inspire future Ace participants. To qualify for this Grant, a minimum of 24 hours must be devoted to a project or initiative that seeks to apply knowledge gained at First Tee and bridges service to the greater community. The project must make an impact on a cause or organization in the participant’s community while highlighting the impact First Tee has had on their learning and preparation to succeed in this initiative.

Beginning this Winter, FTSV will allocate $500 in her name to the Ace-Give Back Volunteer class to collectively pursue an enhancement or appreciation project that benefits the FTSV community. FTSV is doing this to reinforce the Make Your Mark Grant and to teach our teens about working as a team and project management.

Katelyn was one of 5 selected from across the country based on her volunteer work at Plateful and ArtReach. At Plateful she contacted restaurants and delivered their excess food to homeless shelters. At ArtReach, she made and distributed care packages for different organizations or community groups. She made support cards for hospital workers, toys for dog shelters, and ordered/delivered handwarmers for the homeless. She credited First Tee – Silicon Valley and the performance and process goal lessons for helping her create and follow through on an action plan to be successful.

“Many people in high school brag about how much they can procrastinate,” said Katelyn, “but at First Tee – Silicon Valley we learn the importance of setting due dates, creating plans, and taking initiative. It is great to grow up and spend a big chuck on my life with First Tee, and be around such a supportive group of people who push me to be the best version of myself. Thank you so much for this grant, I am so surprised!”

Congratulations Katelyn! Your work in the community shows high character, empathy, and a desire to make the world a better place. Thank you!

If you are interested in joining our program like Katelyn did years ago, please click here or contact us at [email protected] or 408-508-4880 for more information.

SCVCC Skins Game – Franky Sinks 20’ Putt to Win

It was a sunny fall day in the mid-60s at Silver Creek Valley Country Club on November 25th. The 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Skins game started out with a clinic on the driving range. There was a player Q&A session with the gallery, Wayne Kumagai, Organizer, and Avery Cook, Head Pro. We were fortunate to feature five (5) terrific players.

1) Lexi Lowe, Leland High School, +3 handicap, BVAL Champion and team MVP

2) Kaleiya Romero- Pepperdine University, WCC First Team, 2022 and 2023 US Amateur participant

3) Francesca (Franky) Sumcad – Colorado University, former Valley Christian Player, and First Tee – Silicon Valley participant

4) Caleb Shetler – SJSU / Mountain West Freshman of the year, 2021 US Amateur participant at Oakmont, Santa Clara County Champion, Course Record Holder Cinnabar (60) and San Jose Country Club (59)

5) Katherine Zhu – CAL graduate / Rolex All American, 2-time AJGA Champ, former #1 player at CAL

The holiday should have been the 4th of July because the event started off with a bang and continued throughout the day. 

#1 Caleb hit a 320-yard drive and then a lob wedge to 4 feet which he converted to win the first skin.

#2 Kaleiya Romero hit a big drive, then hit a wedge to 4 feet and converted the birdie to win the second skin.

#3 The third hole was halved with pars by Caleb and Katherine Zhu.

#4 All players hit the green and putted for birdies. The hole was halved with pars.

#5 Lexi made a 25-downhill putt for birdie to win the hole for three (3) skins.

#6 Franky Sumcad made a 35-foot uphill putt for birdie, and Lexi Lowe made a 5-foot birdie to tie.

# 7 Lexi Lowe made a 25- foot putt for a birdie and Caleb made an 8-foot birdie putt to tie.

#8 Kaleiya Romero hit to the edge of the green in two (2) shots and chipped up for an easy birdie. Katherine Zhu made a clutch 35-foot downhill putt to tie the hole.

#9 Franky Sumcad sunk a 20-foot birdie putt to win the hole and four (4) skins.

A special thanks is due to Eric Lee who donated an extra $50 for each birdie that was made which equated to initial an additional $500.

Overall, Silver Creek Valley Country Club member supporters were able to raise $4,795 for First Tee – Silicon Valley and Youth on Course.  The players demonstrated great skill, and all the attendees were in awe of the vast distances they all could hit the ball.

Recap Provided by Organizer Wayne Kumagai

If you would like to organize a fundraiser to benefit FTSV, please contact Development Director Judy Dixon Deaton –   [email protected].