Why Golf?

Experiences are our greatest teacher. First Tee believes in developing the ones that are just as fun as they are meaningful, where kids feel excited to grow, safe to fail, and better equipped for whatever comes their way next. Through our personal growth and junior golf programs, we see kids’ build self confidence, inspiring more active participation in leadership opportunities and events, community involvement, and college scholarships.

About the Program

At First Tee, we believe that helping young people build strength of character is fundamental to success in life. Our active learning experiences are all about ensuring young people build inner strength, self-confidence and resilience, so when they face new challenges they are equipped to overcome them.

Going beyond our core programs, the enhanced First Tee College Scholarship Program is designed to provide further support, life skill development and mentorship of our alumni through their journey. Higher education continues to be a critical factor in unlocking opportunities for young people to thrive, and First Tee is committed to their success.

First Tee College Scholarship Program supports selected alumni throughout their college career. The need and merit-based program provides scholarships up to $5,000 per year, renewable for up to four years of college admission. The program also provides professional development workshops, access to internships and full-time employment placement post-graduation. One of the key factors of the program is pairing Scholars with a dedicated adult mentor who will help encourage and guide them throughout the four years.

The program is open to graduating high school seniors planning to attend college the following year. Applicants must be active members of First Tee chapters and will be considered based on financial need, academic performance, chapter involvement, volunteerism and other criteria.

Event Info

Scholarship Application Open Date: January 16
Scholarship Application Close Date: March 13
For more details contact your local chapter.

2024 Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the First Tee College Scholarship Program, applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

Academic Requirements

  • Must be classified as a high school senior as of December 31, 2023
  • Minimum 3.3 GPA on a 4.0 grading scale
  • Intent to attend a four-year accredited college or university in Fall 2023
  • If selected, the participant must be able to attend the Pre-College Retreat and the annual Winter Workshop

Chapter and Community Participation

  • Registered and active in First Tee headquarters database at the time of application deadline
  • Involved in chapter activities at the time of application submission
    • Participants who have spent a longer amount of time in First Tee programs will receive higher consideration in the selection.
    • Evidence of responsible volunteerism or citizenship through meaningful involvement in community and/or civic activities

Previous Scholars

Scholars Class of 2023

Christian Bonvisuto

  • First Tee — Connecticut
  • University of Connecticut

Jerimiah Brown

  • First Tee — Greater Philadelphia
  • Catholic University

Enrico Diaz

  • First Tee — San Francisco
  • DePaul University

Daryn Dickens

  • First Tee — Greater Washington, D.C.
  • Howard University

Ava Heaton

  • First Tee — Triangle
  • High Point University

Ana Hunter

  • First Tee — Memphis
  • University of Southern California

Mariane Johnson

  • First Tee — Gulf Coast
  • Palm Beach Atlantic University

Kyzar Joshi

  • First Tee — Massachusetts
  • Hamilton College

Isabelle Junio

  • First Tee — Phoenix
  • Arizona State University

Sawyer Klein

  • First Tee — Colorado Rocky Mountains
  • University of Arizona

Shamar Knox

  • First Tee — Greater Sacramento
  • Sacramento State University

Falyn Lackey

  • First Tee — Southeastern New Mexico
  • Western New Mexico State University

BJ Little

  • First Tee — Metro Atlanta
  • Georgetown University

Stephen Ma

  • First Tee — Central Ohio
  • Washington University, St. Louis

Natalie McKenzie

  • First Tee — Greater Seattle
  • Gonzaga University

Maria Ramos

  • First Tee — Greater Philadelphia
  • University of Pennsylvania

Saloni Somia

  • First Tee — Minnesota
  • Brown University

Meredith Speer

  • First Tee — Greater Austin
  • Sam Houston State University

Colin Vineburg

  • First Tee — Greater Baltimore
  • Dickinson College

Kailey Watkins

  • First Tee — Metro Atlanta
  • Florida A&M University

Madeleine Wocicki

  • First Tee — Idaho
  • University of Nebraska at Kearney

Haley Wong

  • First Tee — Greater Sacramento
  • University of California Los Angeles

Luke Wood

  • First Tee — Greater Tyler
  • Texas A&M University

Marlo Zamora

  • First Tee — Greater San Antonio
  • Trinity University
Scholars Class of 2022

Breonna Boyd

  • First Tee — Tennessee
  • University of Michigan

Nicholas Canales

  • First Tee — Greater Houston
  • University of Nebraska

Antonio DelCastillo

  • First Tee — Orange County
  • University of Alabama

Srishti Dhurandhar

  • First Tee — Metropolitan New York
  • New York University

Vivian D’Orazi

  • First Tee — Metropolitan New York
  • York College of Pennsylvania

Dylan Ebs

  • First Tee — Greater Austin
  • George Washington University

Esther Etherington

  • First Tee — Indiana
  • Franklin College

Maleyna Gregorio

  • First Tee — Coachella Valley
  • University of California Riverside

Raiyan Johnson

  • First Tee — Savannah
  • Georgia Institute of Technology

Lea Han

  • First Tee — Greater Sacramento
  • Harvard University

Zara Karim

  • First Tee — Greater Washington, D.C.
  • George Washington University

Nelia Leong

  • First Tee — Upstate South Carolina
  • University of Florida

Myles Manor

  • First Tee — Greater Washington, D.C.
  • North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Abigale Morris

  • First Tee — Phoenix
  • Biola University

Hannah Newell

  • First Tee — Greater Houston
  • LeTourneau University

Sabrina Poole

  • First Tee — Greater Seattle
  • St. Martin’s University

Nancy Rivera

  • First Tee — Silicon Valley
  • Middleburg College Vermont

Ahmad Raoul

  • First Tee — Greater Chicago
  • Winston-Salem State University

Daniel Sears

  • First Tee — Massachusetts
  • Franciscan University of Steubenville

Connor Shooks

  • First Tee — Benton Harbor
  • Loyola University Chicago

Kenneth Treece

  • First Tee — Pine Mountain
  • University of Alabama

Alexa Vela

  • First Tee — Greater Houston
  • Rice University

Jaylon Wilson

  • First Tee — Metro Atlanta
  • North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Iris Xue

  • First Tee — Greater Washington, D.C.
  • Columbia University

Jacob Zakaria

  • First Tee — Central Coast
  • University of California Berkeley
Scholars Class of 2021

Claire Alford

  • First Tee — Central Coast
  • Santa Clara University

Marion Caldwell

  • First Tee — San Juan County
  • Dartmouth College

Natalie Cao

  • First Tee — Greater Houston
  • University of Pennsylvania

Molly Castle

  • First Tee — Tennessee
  • University of Tennessee

Malisone Chanthapanya

  • First Tee — Fort Worth
  • Texas Wesleyan University

Quincy Crawford

  • First Tee — Greater Washington, DC
  • University of Cincinnati

Rebecca Jones

  • First Tee — Indiana
  • Rose Hulman Institute of Technology

Josh Lendach

  • First Tee — Triangle
  • Western Carolina University

Meghna Mazumdar

  • First Tee — Connecticut
  • Boston College

Benjamin Nganga

  • First Tee — Tennessee
  • Indiana University

Kaleb Palm

  • First Tee — Central Florida
  • Florida Atlantic University

Borina Sutikto

  • First Tee — Silicon Valley
  • Santa Clara University