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From first swing to future impact: Maria Ramos’ journey with First Tee – Greater Philadelphia

Maria Ramos tried her hand at several sports before fate intervened. Her grandfather was a talented golfer and caddie. Though they never met, his legacy helped shape the path she walks today. With his memory in mind, Maria’s mom encouraged her to try golf.

Watching tournaments on TV, Maria noticed there weren’t many players who looked like her. Still, the presence of trailblazing players like Lorena Ochoa and Maria Fassi helped her envision a place for herself in the sport. “One day, we went to First Tee – Greater Philadelphia, and there was this overwhelming sense of kindness and care for students,” Maria said.

She quickly discovered that First Tee offered more than golf instruction. One lesson that left a lasting impression is the importance of using good judgment, Maria said. On the course, this means evaluating your shot from every angle, making a decision and executing with confidence, Maria explained. Off the course, it’s the mindset Maria brings to solving computer algorithms — thinking critically and acting with clarity.

College, community and continued growth

Maria now studies artificial intelligence at the University of Pennsylvania. She’s a member of the First Tee College Scholarship Program, which provides financial support, professional development opportunities and mentorship to standout First Tee alumni.

The program has helped Maria sharpen her networking skills, and she’s built strong bonds with her fellow Scholars, she said. “Now, as an adult I represent the future of First Tee,” she said. “I have no doubt we will all be friends for the rest of our lives and maintain involvement.”

Maria’s commitment to making a difference was recently rewarded by First Tee Trustee, Accenture. Maria teamed up with classmates to win Accenture’s 2025 Innovation Challenge an opportunity she learned about through Accenture’s partnership with First Tee.  During the competition, Maria and her teammates consulted for the Special Olympics, integrating technology and social impact.

“Partnering with the Special Olympics for this year’s Accenture Innovation Challenge was a delight,” said Christy Sovereign, senior managing director at Accenture and president and CEO of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. “Being able to witness how the next generation of leaders applied technology and teamwork to make a real difference in the lives of athletes and their communities was truly inspiring. Congrats to Maria and team for launching their Impact Passport program that empowers individuals with IDD to build social connections, track progress and engage with Special Olympics communities.”

Maria also explored her passion for making a difference through technology while studying abroad in Costa Rica. “I saw that some rural farmers had engineered amazing technologies that would likely never make it to market,” she said. “With my engineering background, eventually I hope to work in impact investing, focusing on technologies made by or for marginalized communities.”

Maria has big plans for this summer as a USGA Pathways Intern, which means she’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the 2025 U.S. Open.

The First Tee Alumni Network is your resource for job listings, networking and access to First Tee alumni meetups. Learn more.

Meredith Speer’s journey from First Tee to a golf career

The game of golf is more than just a sport; it’s a powerful vehicle for personal growth, leadership and community. For Meredith Speer, First Tee has been an integral part of her journey, not just to become a skilled golfer but to pursue a career in the industry. Her story highlights the transformative impact of First Tee programs, which have helped shape her path on and off the golf course.

Meredith joined First Tee – Greater El Paso at 6, and when her family later moved to Cedar Park, Texas, she became involved with First Tee – Greater Austin. Female leaders at both chapters became mentors for Meredith, who soon realized she wanted golf to be a big part of her life.

“Kristi Albers started my love for the game by taking me under her wing and giving me lessons after every Saturday class,” Meredith said. “And Jennifer MacCurrach has been a mentor in so many aspects of my life – in and outside of golf.”

Meredith is currently enrolled in the PGA Golf Management Program at Sam Houston State University, where she was recently elected president of the PGM Student Association. This summer she’ll intern at Southern Hills Country Club, which has hosted three U.S. Opens and five PGA Championships.

“At this internship, I will be working in the golf performance center learning all about giving lessons and club fittings,” she said. “Along with that, I will get more experience working outside services and inside the golf shop getting more experience with merchandising.”

The First Tee College Scholarship Program is shaping future leaders

Meredith is a member of the First Tee College Scholarship Program. As a Scholar, she receives access to professional development opportunities, a dedicated mentor and financial support.

“The First Tee Scholarship Program has supported me in so many ways academically and socially,” she explained. “It’s given me the confidence I need to pursue a career in golf, and I’ve had the opportunity to hear from women who are already in the industry. Their stories have inspired me and assured me that success is possible.”

The First Tee College Scholarship Program is supported by generous partners like Chevron, which hosted a group of First Tee alumni at The Chevron Championship in Woodlands, Texas, last week. Meredith attended the event and networked with a variety of golf industry professionals.

“The alumni meetup at The Chevron Championship was one of the most amazing experiences,” Meredith said. “Getting to meet up with my fellow First Tee friends and watch the amazing LPGA golfers only solidified my choice of working in this industry.”

The First Tee Alumni Network helps connect past participants, providing networking opportunities, social events and job listings. Join now.

First Tee alumna Lauryn Nguyen tees it up at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur 

Lauryn Nguyen received her first set of clubs at age 5 and her lifelong love of golf began shortly after. Her mother, a golfer herself, enrolled Lauryn in classes with First Tee – Greater Seattle while she was in kindergarten and Lauryn quickly picked up the game as well as found a golfing community. 

“It was a great introduction to the sport and a great way to be surrounded by other people who were interested in golf,” Lauryn said about her early years in First Tee.  

As her love for golf grew, so did her passion for giving back to her community. As Lauryn began to make the transition to playing competitive golf, she continued to stay involved with First Tee as a junior coach to share the knowledge she had learned and mentor other participants growing up through the program.  

Through her time involved with First Tee, Lauryn not only learned golf, but also found a community of like-minded individuals. While junior coaching, Lauryn met and began mentoring a group of young women who shared her last name. Although the girls are not related, they share similar life experiences as first-generation Americans who found their community through the game of golf. They all became fast friends and together they founded the Nguyen Junior Am, a golf tournament that gives back to First Tee – Greater Seattle and the Washington Junior Golf Association.  

“They’ve done so much for us and our upbringing. We wanted to give back to the organizations that gave so much to us,” Lauryn said.  

Lauryn continues to excel both on and off the golf course.  She is currently a senior at Northwestern University where she is studying marketing and communications and playing on their Division I golf team.  

This year, for the second year in a row, Lauryn has been invited to compete in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, a tournament that highlights the top talents in amateur women’s golf and takes place at Augusta National Golf Club the week before the Masters Tournament.  

As she continues to prepare for the week ahead, her community at home is never far from her mind. Lauryn recognizes that each time she tees it up, she’s representing everyone who has played a part in getting her there, all the way back to her first class at First Tee at age 5.  

“I’m playing for myself, but I’m also playing for something so much bigger,” Nguyen reflected.  

First Tee honors its founder, Tim Finchem, with Lifetime Achievement Award 

To honor Finchem’s legacy, campaign launched to support 100 additional alumni through First Tee College Scholarship Program

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Oct. 8, 2024 – Former PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem led the launch of First Tee in 1997 and was honored Monday with the youth development organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award, its highest recognition. 

PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan and First Tee CEO Greg McLaughlin presented Finchem with the award at a First Tee event in Scottsdale, Arizona. 

“Tim worked alongside other leaders in our sport, both with golf organizations and the greats of the game, to help facilitate the establishment of First Tee, which now reaches 3.4 million young people,” Monahan said. 

Finchem led the creation of First Tee, which was originally founded to make golf accessible and affordable to all families. The organization has evolved to teach life skills and strengthen values in young people at 150 chapters, 11,450 schools and 2,000 youth centers across the globe. 

“Tim’s leadership in what this organization has become is immeasurable,” McLaughlin said. “The contributions that he has made to the millions of young people and their families around the country and around the world, as well as to the game of golf, will be felt for decades to come.” 

Finchem received messages of congratulations from Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, USGA CEO Mike Whan and LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan, as well as prominent First Tee supporters like Arthur Blank, Charles Schwab and Casey Wasserman. President Bush served as Honorary Chair of First Tee from 2011 to 2024, succeeding his father, President George H.W. Bush, who was the organization’s Honorary Chair from 1997 to 2011, and was present on the day the organization was announced in New York’s Central Park, alongside Finchem. 

First Tee will honor Finchem’s legacy through a $5 million campaign to support an additional 100 First Tee Scholars. First Tee alumni who are selected for the First Tee College Scholarship Program receive financial support, access to professional development opportunities and a dedicated adult mentor throughout up to four years of college. To date the program has served nearly 100 students. 

First Tee is an international youth development organization that uses golf to teach life skills and build values that they carry to all aspects of their lives.  Finchem is the second recipient of First Tee’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Retired First Tee CEO Joe Louis Barrow Jr. received the honor in 2022.

Actress, First Tee alumna Kathryn Newton joins First Tee as national brand ambassador

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 10, 2024) – First Tee is excited to announce that actress and avid golfer Kathryn Newton has signed on as its newest national brand ambassador. Newton, an alumna of First Tee – Miami, is passionate about making golf feel fun and accessible for everyone, and she’s known for featuring the sport on her popular social media channels.

Newton and First Tee have already collaborated at events like the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst and the First Tee Leadership Summit in partnership with PGA TOUR Superstore in 2023 and 2024. In her role as ambassador, she’ll continue to engage with First Tee participants and represent the youth development organization at events.

“This is a full-circle moment for me,” Newton said. “Having grown up in First Tee, I’m proud to join the organization as an ambassador because I know the difference it can make for kids and teens. Golf has meant so much to me, and I’m thrilled to share my love for the game, and its inherent values, with the next generation.”

Well known for her roles in Marvel Studios Ant-Man and The Wasp Quantumania, Netflix’s The Society, as well as Legendary Pictures Pokémon Detective Pikachu, this year she stars in the highly anticipated Focus Features Film Lisa Frankenstein and Universal Studios Abigail. Her past work includes Oscar winning films such as Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri and LadyBird, as well as Golden Globe winning Big Little Lies.

Newton started her acting career at the age of 4 and was also an avid golfer. Her nickname in high school was “Kathryn the Golfer,” and as a +2-handicap, she helped her team win championships while simultaneously working as an actress.

“Kathryn embodies First Tee’s mission and our work to use golf as a platform to empower the next generation of game changers,” said CEO Greg McLaughlin. “She brings energy to our work and a commitment to making an impact on the young people with whom she interacts.”

Newton joins professional golfers Austin Smotherman and Alex Smalley, becoming First Tee’s third ambassador. As someone who’s passionate about the game, she brings a new perspective to the organization’s ambassador program.

First Tee has been helping kids and teens build character since 1997. By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with its life skills curriculum, First Tee aims to instill values that are important both on and off the golf course, including inner strength, self-confidence and perseverance.

About PGA TOUR First Tee Foundation (“First Tee”)
First Tee (www.firsttee.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization that is supported by the PGA TOUR. Its mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character and instill life-enhancing values through the game of golf. Since 1997, First Tee has expanded to reach millions of kids annually through its network of 150 chapters, 11,450 schools and 2,000 youth centers. Headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA, programs are delivered in all 50 United States and select international locations. President George W. Bush serves as Honorary Chair.     

Contact:
Megan Hart
[email protected]
(941) 400-8793

The importance of embracing differences and different experiences 

February is Black History Month, an important time to recognize the contributions and remember the hardships endured by generations of African Americans. Appreciating diversity and what makes us each unique remains an integral part of First Tee’s DNA year-round.  

“When you bring together people with different perspectives and different experiences, the whole becomes stronger than the sum of its parts,” said Pepper Peete, whose career in golf began more than two decades ago when she established the men’s team at Edward Waters College, an HBCU in Jacksonville, Florida. Peete now helps lead culture and inclusion efforts at First Tee headquarters. 

Access for All 

First Tee has always been committed to reaching kids from all backgrounds and making sure they feel included in our programming. At First Tee we commit to: 

  • Appreciating what makes us different. 
  • Providing everyone ​with what they need ​to succeed, knowing that our needs and challenges may differ. 
  • Creating space that makes every individual feel like they belong and can see themselves reflected.​ 

Collaborating with others – including those who are different from you – is a Key Commitment at First Tee, and it means showing respect, kindness and care for everyone. Regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, ability, sexual orientation or lived experience, we’re all unique.  

Here are some ways kids can get more comfortable learning about and from others. 

A-L-R is a tool for learning about others 

First Tee coaches introduce the concept of appreciating diversity by explaining that people differ in many ways and are similar in other ways, and we all have strengths and weaknesses. It is important for kids and teens to understand, accept and appreciate their own strengths and weaknesses, but it is equally important they do the same with others. 

Engaging others in conversation doesn’t always come naturally to children, but it can be one of the best ways to form meaningful connections across perceived barriers. A-L-R is a strategy we teach at First Tee. 

  • Ask questions: Invite your child to ask questions to discover more about a person’s background and past experiences, which might provide insight into who they are today and the commonalities they share. 
  • Listen to understand: Introduce active listening by encouraging your child to focus on what others are saying rather than thinking about what to say next. 
  • Reflect and respond: Invite your child to show how they were listening by responding with a thoughtful question or sharing your own thoughts or feelings on the topic at hand.  

Through this exercise, kids might learn they share common interests with someone who looks or sounds different to them. 

Don’t forget that in addition to learning about others, preteens are often grappling with and discovering their own identities. If your family positions diversity as an asset, your child might feel more comfortable being themself.  

Exposing your child to food, music or books from other cultures can help them see the commonalities we share and appreciate that our differences make the world a richer place. You can also discuss the diversity that exists within your own family or community to show that diversity is everywhere, including the golf space. 

“Golf has given me an opportunity to go places I never would have been able to go and meet people I never would have been able to meet,” said Peete, who was married to Calvin Peete, one of the most successful Black professional golfers in history. “I think golf can open up unexpected doors.” 

A lifelong golfer and mother to two daughters who played golf at HBCUs, Peete has seen the sport become more accessible, especially to women, and she believes the golf course is a perfect place to break down barriers. “You get to meet so many different people through golf,” Peete said.