New Ambassador Archives - First Tee

New Ambassador – Meet Jason Luehrs

(New Ambassador – Meet Jason Luehrs Published 05/12/2026) First Tee – Silicon Valley is excited to welcome our newest Board Ambassador – Jason Luehrs. We asked Jason a few questions to get to know him.

Can you give us a brief background about your personal and professional life?

“I have spent most of my life in various regions of the Bay Area, having grown up in the East Bay, moving to the South Bay after going to Fresno for college, where I first picked up a club and started my golfing journey. With a business degree in hand, I have had the good fortune of working with a lot of good people over the years helping to build and grow a number of private companies, and have been able to continue my career as a consultant doing similar work. I enjoy being active and in addition to golfing, I regularly play soccer, go hiking, and try to keep up with my young son and dog.”

Why FTSV?

“As I evaluated where I wanted to invest my time and energy for new endeavors, I wanted golf to be a part of it. As I learned about FTSV and how the organization approaches teaching life skills and golf skills, it aligned with many of my views about the game of golf and its intertwining lessons of both personal and professional life. I also really enjoy the community aspect that FTSV embodies and the involvement opportunities it provides.”

What are you looking forward to as an Ambassador?

“I am really looking forward to having an impact on so many young lives. Being an ambassador will allow me to share some of my stories and lessons I have learned along the way, while also giving me an opportunity to share more about FTSV with my network all through my passion of golf.”

All board members, staff, coaches and instructors see themselves as Mentors. Do you have any memorable mentors?

“As I have progressed through various endeavors in my life, I have consistently had someone that I could seek out for guidance and to act as a sounding board, but early in my professional career I was fortunate to find a mentor that I have trusted for many years. The mentorship has grown and evolved into a friendship that I truly value, but I still find myself seeking them out for that same guidance and sounding board that was the root of the relationship.”

Volunteer your time and talent as a board member, like Jason Luehrs.

Coaching, Cultivating Donors, Event or Campaign Fundraising, Representing FTSV at outside events or working on special projects with the CEO. Get Started – Join Us!

New Ambassador – Meet Matt Cunningham

(New Ambassador – Meet Matt Cunningham Published 05/07/26) First Tee – Silicon Valley is excited to welcome our newest Board Ambassador – Matt Cunningham. We asked Matt a few questions to get to know him.

Can you give us a brief background about your personal and professional life?

“I was born and raised in Northern Ireland – 20 minutes from where Rory McIlroy grew up – before moving to the US to play college soccer and pursue a degree in Marketing. After graduating from Menlo College, I began a career in marketing and spent the first few years working within different sports organizations, as well as supporting a couple of local non-profits as a marketing/social media contractor. These days, I work full-time in a cybersecurity startup but continue to support those non-profits as a marketing contractor on the side.”

“Outside of work, I have a wife and a Samoyed puppy who is about to turn one. When I am not spending time with them on the weekends, there is only one other place to find me – the golf course!”

Why FTSV?

“I attended last year’s Open as a guest in a donor’s foursome, and having already had a baseline awareness of FTSV, I knew I need to get involved in some way after seeing first-hand the impact FTSV has on the local youth. Playing golf as a youth myself taught me more than simply how to hit a ball – it taught me discipline, patience, perseverance, and taking calculated risk, traits that have all served me very well since moving to the US. I feel personally aligned with FTSV’s mission because I believe the personal development aspect of golf is often overlooked, let alone prioritized in youth participation. Pairing this with the emphasize on providing access to the game for those who might not otherwise be capable of doing so, it feels like a perfect match.”

What are you looking forward to as an Ambassador?

“I’m excited to support the organization in any way I can and to meet the other board members to collaborate on bringing more awareness to the team’s mission. I’m looking forward to becoming a resource for the team, hopefully for many years to come, and can’t wait to get started.”

All board members, staff, coaches and instructors see themselves as Mentors. Do you have any memorable mentors?

“If I could pinpoint one person to being the biggest mentor in my life, it would be my oldest brother, Stephen. He paved the way for moving to the US when he voyaged across the Pacific seven years prior to me, and has been my guide in navigating life ever since. Outside of him, I have a lot of thanks to give to several sports coaches throughout my youth and college years, who all help shape me into the man I’ve become today in one way or another – which is another reason why I feel so strongly aligned with FTSV’s mission.”

Volunteer your time and talent as a board member, like Matt Cunningham.

Coaching, Cultivating Donors, Event or Campaign Fundraising, Representing FTSV at outside events or working on special projects with the CEO. Get Started – Join Us!

New Ambassador – Meet Bau-Lin Yueh

(New Ambassador – Meet Bau-Lin Yueh Published 4/29/2026) First Tee – Silicon Valley is excited to welcome our newest Board Ambassador – Bau-Lin Yueh. We asked Bau-Lin a few questions to get to know him.

How would you describe your career?

“I’ve been in the financial services industry for over 20 years, with deep roots in mortgage banking. Transitioning into holistic financial services, I now focus on helping individuals and families with retirement planning, estate planning, and wealth accumulation. My specialty lies in creating tax-free distribution strategies to ensure long-term financial security. One example of this is leveraging our Hybrid Long-term Care to protect your assets and generate tax-free income.”

“Beyond my professional work,” Bau-Lin continued, “I am deeply committed to community service and education, particularly in supporting youth development. My goal is to leverage my professional background and personal passions to make a meaningful impact on the organizations I serve.”

Why FTSV?

“What truly drew me to First Tee – Silicon Valley is the organization’s unique approach to character development through the game of golf. I have always believed that the values learned on the course like integrity, perseverance, responsibility and respect are essential life skills for young people. My experience volunteering in an after-school math programs like Singapore Math solidified my desire to support educational and developmental initiatives for youth. FTSV provides the perfect intersection of my interest in the game and my commitment to helping the next generation build a strong foundation for their future.”

As an FTSV Board Ambassador, what are your goals?

“As a new Ambassador, I am most looking forward to engaging with the community and helping to expand the reach of FTSV’s mission. I am excited to participate in events like the upcoming OPEN and to assist with welcoming golfers and registration. Being part of the OPEN allows me to contribute to the organization’s goals and secure the resources needed to sustain these vital programs. I also look forward to collaborating with the Board of Directors and other Ambassadors to share our collective passion for youth development.”

“Yes, I have been fortunate enough to have mentors throughout my life and professional career who have guided me. Their influence taught me that success isn’t just about individual effort, but about the guidance and wisdom shared by those who came before us. This firsthand knowledge of the profound impact a dedicated mentor can have on personal and professional growth is exactly why I am so eager to support the character-building work that happens at First Tee.”

Volunteer your time and talent as a board member, like Bau-Lin Yueh.

Coaching, Cultivating Donors, Event or Campaign Fundraising, Representing FTSV at outside events or working on special projects with the CEO. Get Started – Join Us!

Meet New Board Ambassador: Samantha Smith

(Meet New Board Ambassador: Samantha Smith) First Tee – Silicon Valley’s board recently elected Samantha Smith to our Board of Ambassadors.

“First Tee served as the foundation for developing integrity as one of my core values,” Samantha shares. “From age five, the program was instrumental in shaping not just my golf skills, but my character and worldview. The community I found through First Tee has supported me beyond the golf course and throughout my career; I’m passionate about creating those same opportunities for the next generation. The mentors who guided me remain important figures in my life today, which speaks to the program’s lasting impact. I’m thrilled to bring my experience full circle by joining the First Tee – Silicon Valley chapter.”

Samantha’s connection with First Tee runs deep, having participated in First Tee – Greater Houston from age 5 (2002) until achieving Ace certification alongside her brother, Lonnie. As a scratch golfer, she served as a Junior Mentor from 2008-2015. Her First Tee journey included attending the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach and First Tee Player’s Academy with Kunal Shalia (FTSV Alumni & Ambassador), with whom she has maintained contact over the years.

Samantha is completing her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior (Micro) at Harvard Business School, where she researches strategic decision-making under competition and develops evidence-based strategies for organizations to leverage diverse talent. After marrying Modibo, a Stanford Graduate School of Business professor, in summer 2024, she now maintains a bicoastal presence between Cambridge, MA and Palo Alto, CA.

While completing her Ph.D. at Harvard, Samantha is concurrently a Research Fellow at ghSMART and Faculty Instructor/Course Designer at Harvard Extension School. Her previous experiences include a Behavioral Research Fellowship at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She earned her AB in psychology with minors in neuroscience and cognitive science from Princeton University.

Samantha joins First Tee – Silicon Valley as a Board Ambassador and is interviewing First Tee Alumni as part of a Harvard case study on the organization’s growth and long-term impact. She feels a special connection with First Tee and is passionate about giving back to the foundation that played the most formative role in her development.

LinkedIN: Samantha Smith

Published: 04-01-2025

Meet New Board Ambassador: Justin Hill

First Tee – Silicon Valley’s board recently elected Justin Hill to our Board of Ambassadors.

After relocating from Manhattan to Silicon Valley, Justin was drawn to First Tee’s mission to promote youth development through golf and integrating the game of golf with life skills.

Justin was relatively late to golf, choosing to play more traditional team sports in his youth, but as he grew older, he began to appreciate the physical and psychological aspects of the game, the camaraderie among the players, and lessons learned from golf that translate off the course.

Justin is thrilled to assist First Tee – Silicon Valley attract more local youth to the game of golf, especially players with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

Justin has 14 years of banking experience spanning roles in relationship management, underwriting, and portfolio management held at Truist, RBC Capital Markets, and Capital One. Justin is currently an underwriter at Capital One where he makes debt and equity investments in multi-family affordable housing developments across the U.S. He received his undergraduate Business degree from the University of Oregon and earned his MBA from George Washington University. Justin lives in Cupertino with his wife and two children, Morgan and Porter.

LinkedIn: Justin Hill

Justin is a great addition to our Board of Ambassadors. Board Ambassadors give advice, assist with projects, represent the organization in the community at events, help raise funds, and expand FTSV’s network throughout Silicon Valley and beyond. Click here to meet all our Board Members. Contact Judy Deaton if you have interest in learning more about a volunteer Board opportunity.

Published: 01-09-2025