Tag: Li An Panfil

Change the Game for MORE Kids! Meet Li An Panfil

(Change the Game for MORE Kids! Meet Li An Panfil – Published 10/23/25) Li An was a standout participant with First Tee – Silicon Valley since 2013. She is now a freshman at UCLA where she is studying healthcare.

In her time with FTSV she participated in every class offered, including our four Ace seminar classes (Career, Education, Give Back, and Golf). Li An also volunteered regularly, giving almost 300 hours as a FTSV volunteer coach in Gilroy. She also coached and organized Girls Golf events and lead several subcommittees in our FTSV Junior Council. Throughout Li An’s many FTSV engagements, she always went above and beyond and distinguished herself as a respected leader.

Li An’s high character, community contributions, and FTSV engagement helped her selections for the following National Opportunity Achievements:

We Asked Li An about How First Tee – Silicon Valley Impacted Her

“First Tee – Silicon Valley played a big role in developing my perseverance and helped me become a stronger communicator and learn skills that are transferable everywhere in life. It’s a big community feeling, spreading knowledge and helping us to improve and be our best selves.”

Li An applied the life and work skills that she learned and coached in FTSV. As a result, she succeeded academically, built a network of support, lifted others up around her, and achieved scholarships that helped her attend UCLA.

A National Leader with Local Heart.

Among the 140 First Tee chapters nationwide, First Tee – Silicon Valley is at the top or near the top in the following categories:

  • 85% participant diversity
  • 48% participants from low-income households
  • 55% retention rate including a 75% teen retention rate
  • 1:4 mentor-to-kid ratio

These numbers reflect our commitment to making sure every child has access to caring mentors and meaningful opportunities.

Be Part of the Change.

As we look to 2026, we need your help to build on this momentum. A monthly pledge is the most powerful way you can support our kids. Your commitment provides the stability and resources necessary to help thousands of youth grow into resilient, confident, and compassionate leaders.

Help Us Grow Our Impact and the Number of Kids We Serve!

Our youth development programs are accessible to youth of different backgrounds and perspectives and affordable to families experiencing financial hardship. We care for kids with safe spaces, quality coaches, character curriculum, and a culture of respect. 

  • Course Program — ensure high quality classes that are affordable and accessible to all (full cost for one participant to take an 8-week class = $500 – or pledge $40 per month)
  • School Program — equip teachers to deliver our curriculum in their setting (cost of equipment, training, and curriculum per school = $2,000 – or pledge $165 per month)
  • Opportunities — provide our kids with special experiences outside of our classes (cost of quarterly tournaments or scholarship = $5,000 – or pledge $415 per month) 

Make your monthly pledge today—and help us Change the Game for MORE Kids tomorrow.

Make the Pledge!

FTSV’s Participants Selected for Game Changers Academy

(FTSV’s Participants Selected for Game Changers Academy) Li An Panfil and Nicolas Hernandez Lopez from First Tee — Silicon Valley have been selected to attend the First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. in Philadelphia, July 8-12, 2025. 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 FTSV’s Participants for the Game Changers Academy

Meet Li An Panfil

Li An has been a highly engaged participant with First Tee – Silicon Valley since 2013. She has participated in every class offered at FTSV including our four ACE seminar classes (Career, Education, Give Back, and Golf). Li An also volunteers regularly, giving almost 300 hours of her time back to FTSV. Between coaching Girls Golf, coaching our Life Skill program, and leading a subcommittee in our FTSV Junior Council, Li An is constantly going above and beyond and distinguishing herself as a respected leader.

After the event, Li An had this to say:

“During the week, we attended different leadership workshops and learned a lot about leadership and teamwork. On the final day, John Randle from the Vikings spoke with us about his own experiences in the NFL. He said that even if you’re not in a specific leadership position, you still have the responsibility to do what you can, and that you don’t need a designated title to be a good leader. This really resonated with me.”

Meet Nicolas Hernandez Lopez

Nicolas has been involved with FTSV for the past 10 years as a participant, a volunteer coach, and a Junior Council member. He is consistently pushing himself to become more involved and find ways to continue to give back. As a coach, Nico is patient and kind, making class fun and exciting for the young participants. As a participant, Nico engages deeply with the life skill discussions/activities and goes out of his way to make sure other participants are included. Additionally, he has been part of a group that helped plan community events for our chapter. He is going to be a wonderful representative of our chapter at the Game Changers Academy!

Nicolas ended up having a great time at the event...

“It was so much fun meeting new people and experiencing different perspectives. I was able to talk and collaborate with other kids about what they do in their chapters, and to hear about different ways to persevere through challenges.”

“The biggest takeaway for me were the experiences, the moments with my new friends and the conversations I had with mentors and speakers. It opened my eyes to different possibilities and taught me how to overcome different challenges. We really came together as a unit. For example, one kid forgot his golf clubs, so we lent him some. Another kid was homesick, and we comforted him. We built a lot of comradery and togetherness in a very short amount of time. It was really something special.”

The event was held at the University of Minnesota, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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 Li An and Nicolas!

Published: 06-18-2025 Updated: 08-08-2025

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]).