Members of the First Tee College Scholarship Program Receive Financial Support,
Mentorship and Professional Development Opportunities.
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. – (June 4, 2024) – First Tee is thrilled to welcome 24 new members to
the First Tee College Scholarship Program. Entering its fifth year, the program recently
celebrated its first graduating class, and now boasts 94 current or former members. Like
those who have come before them, each of the new First Tee Scholars has shown dedication
to school, extracurriculars, volunteerism and especially First Tee, averaging 9.5 years of
involvement with the youth development organization.
The 14 young women and 10 young men who comprise the 2024 Scholar class were selected
from a pool of 150 applicants. They boast an average GPA of 4.0 and SAT score of 1350. Ten
members of the new class are participants in the Ace Program, First Tee’s capstone
experience. Four plan to play collegiate golf, including First Tee – West Virginia’s Argyle
Downes, who will play Division I golf at Rutgers.
Members of the First Tee College Scholarship program not only receive financial support, but
they are also matched with an adult mentor and provided annual professional development
opportunities.
“Spring is an exciting time of the year when we welcome a new group of First Tee Scholars,”
said First Tee CEO Greg McLaughlin. “The scholarship program has grown significantly since it
launched in 2020 thanks to our generous donors and sponsors. We look forward to supporting
our Scholars on their path to success.”
Ten First Tee Scholars graduated from college this spring. Several plan to attend graduate or
medical school, while others are starting careers with companies like AWS, BNP Paribas Bank,
PwC, Proctor & Gamble and the NFL.
Participants across First Tee’s network submitted applications to be a part of the latest
Scholar class. Following an online application process, finalists were selected by a committee
for one-on-one interviews. In addition to academic performance, applicants were considered
based on financial need, chapter involvement, community service and other criteria.
Congratulations to the 2024 First Tee Scholars:
| Name | Chapter | University |
|---|---|---|
| Mahek Acharya | Greater Chicago | Indiana University |
| Maia Alinskas | Delaware | University of Delaware |
| Aditi Balakrishna | Tri-Valley | University of Illinois |
| Sarah Brannigan | Metropolitan New York | Georgetown University |
| Nicholas Crawford* | Roanoke Valley | Emory and Henry College |
| Erika Dierke | Minnesota | University of Mississippi |
| Argyle Downes* | West Virginia | Rutgers University |
| Tyler Joplin | Greater Dallas | Boston College |
| William Liu | Greater Seattle | Stanford University |
| Emmy Martinez | Greater Dallas | Bentley University |
| Henry Mentzel | Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky | University of Kentucky |
| Gabriella Mercado | Orange County | University of San Diego |
| Faith Ndichu | Raritan Valley | Lehigh University |
| Joseph Neddo | North Florida | University of Central Florida |
| David Nguyen | Central Iowa | Grinnell College |
| Kylie Nguyen* | Greater Seattle | Chapman University |
| Selam Olson | Connecticut | Trinity College (CT) |
| Shae Patel | Metropolitan Oklahoma City | University of Oklahoma |
| Jaylyn Remolona | San Francisco | Seattle University |
| Isabella Rubio | Florida Gold Coast | University of Florida |
| Kailey Shapiro | Northern Nevada | Tulane University |
| Leah Torres* | Greater Houston | University of St. Thomas, Houston |
| Dimitri Vasilacopulos | Utah | Southern Utah University |
| Nathan Vertes | Florida Gold Coast | University of Florida |
*Denotes collegiate golfer
