Former NFL players Eric Ebron and John Randle, fashion designer and First Tee – Minnesota board member Houston White and Paralympian Victoria Arlen will headline the weeklong academy focused on embracing our differences.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (July 9, 2024) – Seventy-two teens from across the country will attend the First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow Jr. in Minneapolis, July 9-13, 2024. The teens will participate in important conversations on topics like inclusivity and community building facilitated by RISE, a national leader championing social justice in sports.
The week will kick off with a “Critical Conversation” hosted by RISE on Tuesday, July 9, featuring:
- Former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle and NFL Hall of Famer, John Randle
- Former NFL Pro Bowler and golf influencer, Eric Ebron
- First Tee alumna Mackenzie Mack, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Topgolf Callaway Brands
- Shelby Johnson, M.D., a sports medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic
- Ebony Taylor, head of the Global Strategic Customer and Community Engagement Office at AWS
Other highlights of the week include a trip to Topgolf on Thursday, July 11, where participants will experience an afternoon of educational programming before an evening of play. They’ll be joined by Paralympic gold medalist and ESPN host Victoria Arlen. The closing speaker on Friday, July 12, will be fashion designer Houston White, a board member of First Tee – Minnesota, who will be donating golf apparel for the teens to wear during their 18-hole scramble earlier in the day.
For the first time, this year’s event will be sponsored by AWS, Mayo Clinic and Topgolf Callaway Brands, which in addition to providing financial support, will engage with participants through educational sessions throughout the week. Workshops will cover a variety of topics to foster personal growth and understanding, as well as empathy for others.
“We are grateful to AWS, Mayo Clinic and Topgolf Callaway Brands for supporting this event, which really encapsulates First Tee’s mission,” said Greg McLaughlin, First Tee CEO. “By using golf to instill life skills and values, First Tee aims to build game changers. We know the teens will take what they learn at this event back to their communities to create positive change.”
This academy is an evolution of First Tee’s original participant event, and it honors Joe Louis Barrow Jr., First Tee’s former CEO who led the organization from 2000 until his retirement in 2017. It’s 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.
Selected Participants
2024 Teens
| First Name: | Last Name: | Chapter: |
| Brooke | Arhotakis | First Tee – Greater Philadelphia |
| Brandon | Bao | First Tee – Greater Seattle |
| Aiden | Bao | First Tee – Greater Seattle |
| Shreyas | Batra | First Tee – Raritan Valley |
| Will | Berthiaume | First Tee – Connecticut |
| Addison | Bidoli | First Tee – Sandhills |
| Ashley | Biehl | First Tee – Greater New Orleans |
| Matthew | Biehl | First Tee – Greater New Orleans |
| Allison | Brown | First Tee – Greater Philadelphia |
| Reagan Reginald | Calaguas | First Tee – San Francisco |
| Samuel | Carbajal | First Tee – Fresno |
| Lyla | Chrisman | First Tee – West Michigan |
| Dominic | Clayton | First Tee – North Florida |
| Mylo | Cox | First Tee – San Diego |
| Erika | Dierke | First Tee – Minnesota |
| Rita | Eovino | First Tee – Greater Richmond |
| Noelle | Gagnon | First Tee – New Hampshire |
| Salloni | Gill | First Tee – Greater Baltimore |
| Sierra | Godwin | First Tee – Sarasota/Manatee |
| Owen | Grismer | First Tee – Minnesota |
| Justin | Hartsfield | First Tee – Greater Richmond |
| Faith | Hendren | First Tee – Greater El Paso |
| Isabella | Herrera | First Tee – Silicon Valley |
| Gabriella | Ishaq | First Tee – Minnesota |
| Luke | Kasmarcak | First Tee – Cleveland |
| Zoe | Kim | First Tee – Orange County |
| Anthony | Knouse | First Tee – Pittsburgh |
| Ethan | Kwan | First Tee – Greater Pasadena |
| Aya | Laqtib | First Tee – San Francisco |
| Marcus | Leong | First Tee – Greater Sacramento |
| Reena | Lin | First Tee – Gulf Coast |
| Charles | Liu | First Tee – Greater Seattle |
| Maya | London | First Tee – Central Coast |
| Jules | Mahan | First Tee – Greater San Antonio |
| Tyler | Mason | First Tee – West Michigan |
| Lillian | McGowan | First Tee – Greater Sacramento |
| Maeve | McGuire | First Tee – Greater Washington, DC |
| Tiernan | Mentzel | First Tee – Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky |
| Noah | Miller | First Tee – Greater Chicago |
| Jolene | Munoz | First Tee – Tucson |
| Benjamin | Murphy | First Tee – Greater Houston |
| Morgan | Nguyen | First Tee – Greater Dallas |
| Avery | Nguyen | First Tee – Greater Dallas |
| Colby | Palacio | First Tee – Raritan Valley |
| Aidan | Palmer | First Tee – Metropolitan New York |
| Lily | Patel | First Tee – Metropolitan New York |
| Calise | Perry | First Tee – Tulsa |
| Brooklyn | Pfeiffer | First Tee – Eastern Michigan |
| George | Phillips | First Tee – Greater Charlotte |
| Keanu | Phillips-Alberto | First Tee – Contra Costa |
| Sofia | Rodriguez Pierson | First Tee – Central Coast |
| David | Sandino | First Tee – Florida Gold Coast |
| Kavya | Shah | First Tee – Howard County |
| Callie | Somers | First Tee – Greater Wilmington |
| Emma | Stavely | First Tee – Green Valley Ranch |
| Ryland | Stinson | First Tee – Greater Tyler |
| Ronald | Tam | First Tee – Greater Dallas |
| Christopher | Taylor | First Tee – Massachusetts |
| Jacob | Tellez | First Tee – Indiana |
| Leah | Torres | First Tee – Greater Houston |
| Bella | Villarin | First Tee – San Diego |
| Sophia | Waddell | First Tee – Central Coast |
| Benjamin | Wade | First Tee – Tennessee |
| Marley | Walters | First Tee – Benton Harbor |
| Melvin | Watson | First Tee – Florida Gold Coast |
| Bailey | Webb | First Tee – Colorado Rocky Mountains |
| Marissa | Wei | First Tee – Silicon Valley |
| Adelyn | Westfall | First Tee – Green Valley Ranch |
| Zach | Williams | First Tee – Central Valley |
| Kenneth | Yang | First Tee – Greater Sacramento |
| Alana | Yoeuth | First Tee – San Joaquin |
| Hana | Zhu | First Tee – Orange County |
How to Participate
This event is only available to teens involved in chapters of First Tee. Most of the events and programs have a selection process that includes an application reviewed by a committee. Parents, if you want your child to participate, please inquire at your chapter.
