the first tee met ny - The First Tee of Metropolitan New York

The First Tee Met NY Newsletter
Spring 2015 / Issue No. 1
THE FIRST TEE MET NY
TFT Participants Recognized at
National College Decision Day
Inside this issue
Path to College at TFT of Plainfield
Provides Scholarships to
Participants
2
NJGF & TFTMNY Help Bring
The Game Of Golf To Young
Elementary and Middle School
Students
3
Young Benefactors 19th Hole
on the Park Masters Event
Scores Big
4
From left to right: Nia Berrian, Ethan Penha, and Jessica Eng at the
National College Decision Day Draft Event
Four First Tee participants were recognized on Friday, May 1 at the
National College Decision Day Draft Event at the world headquarters of
Citigroup in Manhattan. Over 100 scholars from various college bound
organizations, including The First Tee of Metropolitan New York’s Path
to College program, were honored and acknowledged with heartening
remarks celebrating their success as they embark on the beginning of a
new journey.
Nikki Dilluvio, Semi-Finalist
at The First Tee Outstanding
Participant Leadership
Summit
5
Ruth Rathblott, President and CEO of the Harlem Educational Activities
Fund spoke about the growing number of students who are
challenging themselves each and everyday; pushing the limits of
success. Continued on page 2
ISSUE NO. 1 A Bi-Monthly Issue / EDITOR Joshua Sanchez / DESIGNER Joshua Sanchez / CONSULTING
EDITORS Barry McLaughlin, Karen Les Pierre CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kara Cook, Adam Zweig CONTACTS:
Email jsanchez@tftmny.org / PHONE 718-655-9164 / ADDRESS The First Tee of Metropolitan New York, Mosholu
Golf Course and Driving Range, 3545 Jerome Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467
The First Tee Met NY Newsletter
Spring 2015 / Issue No. 1
Ana Durante McCarthy, Managing Director and Chief Diversity Officer, Citi,
welcomed students and touched on the benefits of employing a diverse work
environment of committed individuals; like many of the students who sat
right before her. Tiki Barber, former NFL star and co-host of CBS Sport’s
Radio, Tiki & Tierney, motivated and encouraged students to “learn how to
learn”, to find their passion; drawing on his personal experiences as a
professional athlete. Ron Claiborne, New Anchor, ABC News closed out the
event with the help from each scholar by announcing the college or university
they’ll be attending in the fall.
The National College Decision Day recognized Nia Berrian, Yale University
(The First Tee of Essex County); Jack Clough, Ripon College (The First of
Mosholu); Jessica Eng, New York University (The First Tee of Mosholu); and
Ethan Penha, New York University (The First Tee of Mosholu).
Top: Nia Berrian with Ron Claiborne,
news anchor for ABCNews
Left: Jessica Eng and Ethan Penha, both
will be attending New York University
this fall
Path to College at The First Tee of Plainfield Provides
Scholarships to Participants
The Path to College program at The First Tee of Plainfield has awarded 10 college scholarships to supplement financial
aid packages for the most committed need-based participants. Donations from the members of Plainfield Country Club
help fund the Path to College program at The First Tee of Plainfield. Participants receive $3,000 per year so long as they
are enrolled in their respective college or university. The following participants have graduated or are matriculating in
the fall.
Path to College and Marcia Manns Scholarship Award winners:
Class of 2013 - Rachel Ford – Georgetown University (Graduated)
Class of 2014 - Richard Szeliga – Stevens Institute of Technology (Graduated)
Class of 2015 - Iziah Thompson – Monmouth University (Graduated); Dominique Wilcher – Albright College
(Graduated); Makuachukwu “M.K.” Okongwu – Union County College
Class of 2016 - Kofi A. Woananu - Bethune-Cookman University; Kevin Flanagan – Coastal Carolina University
Class of 2017 - Aakash Parekh – Carnegie Mellon University
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The First Tee Met NY Newsletter
Spring 2015 / Issue No. 1
Students from St. Michael’s are welcomed to The First Tee of Essex County
New Jersey Golf Foundation & The First Tee of Met NY
Help Bring the Game of Golf To Young Elementary and
Middle School Students
Working together to provide exposure and opportunity to young elementary and middle school students, the New
Jersey Golf Foundation (NJGF), the charitable arm of the New Jersey Section of the PGA of America (NJPGA),
adopted a student from St. Michael’s School in order to provide educational support; this help would later develop
into a partnership between the NJGF, Essex Golf Center and the PGA Professionals at the New Jersey Golf
Academy to bring the game of golf to students at St. Michael’s School. Thanks to the New Jersey Golf Foundation and
The First Tee of Metropolitan New York, St. Michael’s School is one of over two hundred schools to take part in the
Golf in Schools program; which introduces golf to children by incorporating the game into the physical education
curriculum at elementary and middle schools under the guidance of PGA Professionals.
With help and guidance from Chris Hunt, NJGF Executive Director, and Jeff Fortunato, Co-Owner of Essex Golf
Center, students at St. Michael’s School were exposed to the game by local PGA Professionals, including Sam Kang,
Craig Wesolowski and Tim Kistner of Essex Golf and Katie Brenny. “It’s great to have such a strong partnership with
Jeff at the Essex County Golf Center. He is committed to giving back to his community in Newark. We are extremely thankful for
his commitment and overall support”, said Katie Brenny, Program Director, The First Tee of Essex County.
For many of the students this was their first time learning the game and having the opportunity to learn first hand
from local professionals. Brenny helped many of the student’s continue their golf education by enrolling them in The
First Tee program at Essex County. “This is a prime example of two foundations (the New Jersey Golf Foundation and The
First Tee of Metropolitan New York), partnering with a wonderful facility (Essex Golf Center), to bring golf to the students at St.
Michael’s School,” said Chris Hunt, Executive Director, NJGF. The organizations involved send a clear message that
teamwork can actually work in helping to impact the lives of these young elementary and middle school students.
The New Jersey Golf Foundation will continue its youth development initiatives in Essex County this spring at St.
Benedict’s Preparatory School, bringing Golf in Schools to their 7th & 8th grade students.
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The First Tee Met NY Newsletter
Young Benefactors 19th Hole on the Park
Masters Event Scores Big
Spring 2015 / Issue No. 1
SAVE THE DATE
Taste of the Tee
Benefiting Youth of Fairfield County
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
~
Path to College Summer Golf School
Monday, June 29 through
Monday August 24, 2015
~
Participants Nicole Eager, The First Tee of Plainfield and Cameron Dawkins,
The First Tee of Essex County, center, were honored with a $5,000
Scholarship on behalf of the Young Benefactors Executive Committee
19th
The Young Benefactors sixth annual
Hole on the Park Masters Event
was quite the success. With over 200 people in attendance on Thursday,
April 9 at the New York Athletic Club, the event benefits The First Tee of
Metropolitan New York’s Path to College program, which provides
participants of The First Tee with the critical tools, skills, and workshops
they need to prepare for college. Grossing a little over $79,000 in ticket
sales, silent auction items and sponsors, contributions will be matched
dollar for dollar thanks to the generous support of The Hecksher
Foundation for Children.
Highlights of the night included First Tee participants, Cameren
Dawkins, The First Tee of Essex County and Nicole Eager, The First Tee
of Plainfield, who were honored with a $5,000 Scholarship from The
Young Benefactors to continue their educational endeavors. Rachel
Newman, The Young Benefactors Executive Committee, was also
honored as the first recipient of The Kate Keller Young Benefactors
Award.
Dedicated to the mission of The First Tee, The Young Benefactors is a
network of active young professionals whose efforts are highlighted
through fundraising, community and volunteer efforts. “I think what
made this year special was the number of new and young faces we saw
at the event eager to contribute to a great cause for our kids”, said Adam
Zweig, Development and Communications Fellow at The First Tee of
Metropolitan New York.
4
Meadow Brook Invitational
Supporting The First Tee of Suffolk and
Nassau County
Thursday, July 23, 2015
~
What’s
#trending?
@FirstTeeMetNY: Big
thanks to @HEAFNYC
and @Citi for hosting us.
Our kids had a great time
at college decision day and
learned a lot.
@FirstTeeMetNY: Also
our own Jennifer
Rosenberg made the cover
of MetGolfer Extra w/
Mark O’Meara at the
@DriveChipPutt
championship
@FirstTeeMetNY: Check
out our PGA Director of
Instruction @Todd_fgsl in
the latest edition of
MetGolfer Extra
@MGA1897
The First Tee Met NY Newsletter
Spring 2015 / Issue No. 1
A Passion For Dance & A Growing Love For Golf
Kalei Bremer, First Tee participant with The First Tee of Nassau County was recently accepted into the American Ballet
Theater (ABT) three-week summer intensive program. Bremer, age 12, was accepted on her first audition to the program,
she will participate in a minimum of four classes per day with the ABT’s renowned faculty and enjoy a distinct
curriculum that includes access and exposure to ABT artists, history and repertory. The program will feature high-level
technique classes and lecture courses on subjects related to the development of a dancer. Kalei thanks her instructors at
the American Theatre Dance Workshop as well as her mentor, Mrs. Mary Searson, former student of the Julliard School
for the Arts.
Nikki Dilluvio, Semi-Finalist at The First Tee Outstanding
Participant Leadership Summit
The First Tee of Long Island is proud to recognize, Nikki Dilluvio, for her selection as a semi-finalist in The First Tee
Outstanding Participant Leadership Summit. Nikki was one of 28 of The First Tee’s “cream of the crop” from across the
country all competing for a $20,000 college scholarship. Although Nikki did not win the top scholarship, she considers herself to
be fortunate to have been awarded $2,500 towards next year’s college expenses. According to Nikki, while the money towards
college next year is greatly appreciated, the experience itself and the memories she took away are of more value to her as she
continues in her future endeavors.
For Nikki, the convention in Dallas had many highlights including meeting former President George W. Bush and famous golf
announcer David Feherty. However, it was spending time with a true legend of women’s golf at one of the luncheons that left
quite a profound impact on her. Nikki was able to sit next to and talk with the unforgettable Annika Sörenstam. During their
conversation, Sörenstam took the time to clearly communicate how she “stays cool” in pressure situations. Although Nikki
greatly cherished time with Annika and the other celebrities in attendance, her overall takeaway from the convention was that
“being a leader is not based on age.” In fact Nikki has a new confidence that even as young as she is she can still make a big
difference particularly in the area of Girls Golf.
Nikki currently helps with the Girls Golf program at The First Tee of Nassau County by volunteering regularly with the LPGA
classes. During the summit, when given the chance to speak on a topic, Nikki chose to highlight the new found successes of the
Girls Golf classes at Nassau TFT, making mention of how they have grown in numbers and diversity during her speech. Nikki
hopes that she can continue to impact the lives of young girls and lead them to the realization that the relationships they
develop at The First Tee are important and the values they learn will last a lifetime. She is also truly grateful that because of her
experiences in Dallas she now has new friends from coast to coast across America. If you see Nikki let her know: Job well done!
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Spring 2015 / Issue No. 1
The First Tee Met NY Newsletter
Evan medals at US Kids Golf Tournament at Picatinny Arsenal
Evan Koutsopetras is a Birdie Level participant. He has been with
The First Tee for four years and worked his way up through the
program, beginning at PLAYer 6 Hole Level. His life and golf skills
knowledge has propelled him into placing in tournaments and
becoming a role model of what it means to be a First Tee
participant. He demonstrates excellent core values amongst his Cub
Scout peers and leaders.
TFT at Brooklyn Golf Center
Andrew Yenna, an Eagle Level participant and junior at Brooklyn
Tech, made a Hole-in-One at Riis Park Golf Course in the second
round of the match play tournament. Andrew is also an Eagle Scout
and is going into his second summer as a Golfworks Intern here at
the Brooklyn Golf Center.
Winners of the US Kids Golf Tournament
at Picatinny Arsenal
Sal Rainone (Eagle Level), Dillon Rogando (Birdie Level) and Sean
McDonnell (Assistant Coach), played in PSAL Championship at
Split Rock.
Northeast New Jersey
New York City
Union County, Plainfield West Nine Golf Course
Bergen County, Hudson County, Passaic County &
Sussex County
Essex County, Weequahic Park Golf Course
Brooklyn, Brooklyn Golf Center
Bronx, Mosholu Golf Course
Manhattan, Harlem Golf Academy
Manhattan, The Golf Club at Chelsea Piers
Honesty
Sportsmanship
Integrity
Confidence
Responsibility
Respect
Perseverance
Courtesy
Fairfield County, CT
Bridgeport, Fairchild Wheeler Golf Course
Danbury, Richter Park Golf Course
Judgment
Long Island
Nassau County, Eisenhower Park Golf Course
Suffolk County, Gull Haven Golf Course
Westchester County