(FTSV Participant and Coach Jennifer Barrientos Receives Scholarship via Youth on Course – Published 7/09/2026) Jennifer Barrientos is the 2026 recipient of the Youth on Course College Scholarship! She will be the first in her family to attend a 4-year college and we couldn’t be more proud of her.
Her journey with us began in 2018 at our Parent University outreach event for Alum Rock Unified School District’s participants and families. At the time she attended O.S Hubbard Elementary in Alum Rock. Our Operations Assistant, Lina Herrera Peña attended the event and spoke with her and her family about our program. “Watching them participate together in the activities and seeing how excited the children were about golf allowed me to share with them the purpose and opportunities that come from being in First Tee,” said Lina. “What resonated with them the most was our program’s commitment to teaching life skills through golf while also preparing participants for the future beyond high school.”
According to Jennifer, “Before joining FTSV, all I knew about golf was that it was expensive and difficult to play. It was foreign to me and my family and not something we thought was going to be an option. FTSV offered my sister and I financial assistance, which made it possible for us to join the program. True to what my mom always taught us, I did not take this opportunity for granted. Now I am here receiving multiple scholarships to college!”
She further highlights the impact that FTSV has had on her and her family, “My mom is a single mom and takes care of all three of us. She tries her best to give us what we need. I have a responsibility to my mom, sister, and brother. We are in this together and I embrace the challenge of being a role model and taking care of my mom. In FTSV, we learned that responsibility requires setting goals and following through on promises. I will continue to work hard in golf, my education, and my career to make myself, and my family proud.”
Fast forward 8 years and she has been one of the most engaged participants and coaches that we have ever had. She has taken all of our classes across all age groups, participated in and coached our Girls Golf program, assisted at our outreach events by speaking Spanish to families, became a volunteer life and golf coach, and now that she graduated is a paid coach with us over the summer. As a result of her contributions and her high character, she was selected to attend the First Tee John Deere Drive Your Future Academy in Florida, which is a female empowerment event recognizing young women who are motivated to influence positive impact at their Chapters, schools, and communities. In 2022, FTSV selected her as our Dennis Kettmann College Scholarship recipient. She also received the Latino Education Advancement Foundation Scholarship and was a finalist for the Posse Foundation Scholar Program, which connected her with St Olaf and their scholarship fund.
In addition to the opportunities and scholarships, she credits FTSV with helping her “learn how to network, mentor, collaborate, and set goals. The impact my FTSV coaches have had on me is beyond explainable. They have always been there for me, guided me, gave me advice from their personal experience, and tied it back to what I can do for my personal impact.”
Networking and setting goals helped her get jobs throughout high school to save up money for college. That, together with her earned scholarships, is making it possible for her to accomplish her dream of being the first in her family to go to a 4-year college. This fall she will be attending St Olaf in Minnesota!
“I have so many good memories with First Tee – Silicon Valley and I’m extremely grateful for everything they have given me – national opportunities, personal growth, and most importantly, such a supportive community where I was able to learn and adapt.”
Congratulations, Jennifer. We are so proud of and happy for you, and we are excited for your next steps in life.
To join our program as Jennifer did, please visit here. Financial aid is available, and we don’t turn anyone away.
To read more about our local, regional and national opportunities, please click here.
