Scholarship Archives - First Tee

FTSV Participants Li An Panfil and Isabella Herrera selected for the First Tee College Scholar Program

(Li An and Isabella selected for First Tee Scholarship) First Tee Silicon Valley participants Li An Panfil and Isabella Herrera have been selected by FT Headquarters to become a part of the 2025 College Scholar Program. Congratulations!!!

The First Tee College Scholarship Program…

Providing valuable, life-changing opportunities for the youth of First Tee. Helping them prepare for success is at the core of our mission. We believe in encouraging youth to pursue their dreams and further their education.

This program awards participants who excel in academics, leadership, character development, and chapter and community involvement. Thanks to generous donors, First Tee is proud to offer up to a $20,000 scholarship, mentoring throughout the college experience, professional development workshops and assistance in securing internships and jobs through the First Tee College Scholarship Program.

Applications are accepted once per year from seniors in high school who meet the minimum eligibility requirements.

If you are interested in learning more about the College Scholarship Program or are interested in applying, please email Coach Phoenix at [email protected]

Meet Isabella Herrera

Isabella has been a standout participant with FTSV for the past 13 years. With over 300 hours of volunteer service, not only is she a wonderful addition to any class she is in, but Isabella is also constantly looking for ways to give back and support her community. As a participant, Isabella has taken every kind of class FTSV offers and continues to come every Saturday for the high school classes. She comes to class with a positive and inclusive attitude, bringing up those around her while pushing herself to grow in both golf and with the life skill curriculum.

Isabella began volunteering with FTSV back in June of 2021 and has been a consistent coach ever since. In addition to coaching, she assists us as an admin volunteer, which includes preparing class bins and materials, and communicating with parents about class announcements and policies. She also is an outreach volunteer and assists our staff in school community outreach where she connects with Spanish speaking families, translates, and helps them sign up for our program. As a result of her many contributions, she recently received the Presidential Service Volunteer Gold Award.

Her dedication and contributions resulted in her representing our chapter in the Drive Your Future Female Empowerment Academy as well as the Leadership Summit in Montana. Outside of First Tee, Isabella is on the Youth on Course (YOC) Leadership Council, and in the YOC DRIVE Club (Diversity Respect, Inclusion, Voice Equity). Both roles include increasing diversity into the game of golf, something Isabella is very passionate about.

Isabella will be attending USC next Fall. Congratulations Isabella!

Meet Li An Panfil

Li An was selected for this program because of her stand-out participation during the First Tee Leadership Summit, her academic excellence, her community service, as well as her long track record of hard work and success within First Tee – Silicon Valley. The leadership summit is one of the National Opportunities available to our participants who go above and beyond, and it provides workshops and learning experiences aimed around developing leadership skills. Li An was at home as a leader here, rising to the occasion as a top performer, 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.

As a junior volunteer coach, Li An has been one of our most influential coaches. She has been coaching since 2021, and is trusted to lead her groups. She also is one of the lead coaches in our Girls Golf Program. 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.”

LiAn is planning on attending UCLA in the Fall. 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!

Published: 06-18-2025

Tristan Hipolito Awarded the Dennis Kettmann Memorial College Scholarship

First Tee – Silicon Valley participant, Tristan Hipolito, was recently awarded the 2024 Dennis Kettman Memorial Scholarship. Each year golfers in the Dennis Kettmann Memorial Tournament raise funds to remember Dennis. Their generosity underwrites this 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 his father, Dennis, and knows that he must be smiling knowing that his memory is now helping FTSV’s young people pursue their college dreams.

David Henningsen, who is also a co-organizer shared, “It was 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.”

More About Tristan Hipolito

Tristan has been a participant in our program since 2017, joining FTSV after previously participating in FT East Bay (now FT Oakland). As a participant, he continuously goes above and beyond. He speaks up and contributes to Life Skill discussions, works exceptionally hard on improving his golf game, and actively seeks out other ways where he can be of service. He recently represented First Tee in the national Participant Advisory Council in Florida where he was one of eight selected from around the country. Tristan is also a member of our Junior Council where he leads his subcommittee on raising money and donations for our chapter.

Not only is he an engaged and impactful participant, he is also a reliable and kind volunteer junior coach, passing on the lessons he has been taught to the next generation.

This scholarship will go a long way in helping Tristan pursue his educational goals and beyond. Thank you to the Dennis Kettman Memorial Golf Tournament, and congratulations to Tristan!

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Published: 08-14-24

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]).