PONTE VEDRA BREACH, Fla. (June 6, 2025) – The First Tee College Scholarship Program welcomes 27 recent high school graduates. Each of these Scholars was selected from a competitive national pool of First Tee teens and completed a rigorous application and interview process. In its sixth year, the program now boasts 121 current or former members, including 21 college graduates.
The 16 young women and 11 young men in this new Scholar class demonstrate a commitment to excellence both on and off the golf course, with the class averaging nearly 10 years in First Tee and an SAT score of 1450.
“I want to congratulate these 27 remarkable First Tee participants and welcome them to the First Tee College Scholarship Program,” said First Tee CEO Greg McLaughlin. “We are grateful to the donors and mentors who make this life-changing program possible. Since it launched in 2020, it has been rewarding to see our Scholars further develop in their respective fields and grow as students, golfers and people.”
The First Tee College Scholarship Program takes a multifaceted approach to supporting alumni after high school graduation. In addition to providing financial support, each Scholar is paired with a trained adult mentor to help guide them through higher education and beyond. Each of the new Scholars will also attend a pre-college retreat at First Tee Headquarters in July to meet their fellow class as well as an annual professional development conference in the winter that all active First Tee Scholars attend. Each Scholar also receives assistance with summer internship and employment placement after graduation.
Participants across the First Tee 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 2025 First Tee Scholars:
| Name | Chapter | University |
| Micah Chiong* | Greater Chicago | Wheaton College |
| Rachel Cox# | Benton Harbor | University of Michigan |
| Peyton DeBruin* | Greater Houston | Montana State University |
| Madigan Escobar# | Coachella Valley | University of California, Santa Barbara |
| Christina Fuentes | Greater Washington DC | Princeton University |
| Salloni Gill# | Greater Baltimore | Duke University |
| Avi Gupta | Metropolitan New York | University of Pennsylvania |
| Vaugh Henagan* | Northern Michigan | Augustana College |
| Isabella Herrera# | Silicon Valley | University of Southern California |
| Langston Hughes# | Greater Washington DC | Rochester Institute of Technology - RIT |
| Rida Karim# | Greater Washington DC | University of Virginia |
| Casey Knepp | Central Coast | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Jonnika Kwon | Greater Seattle | Georgetown University |
| Vinh Lai | Cleveland | The Ohio State University |
| Elle Lewis | Greater New Orleans | Tulane University |
| Lillian McGowan* | Greater Sacramento | California State University, Northridge |
| Jonathan Moon | Howard County | Hamilton College |
| Brianna Nguyen | Greater Seattle | Chapman University |
| Li An Panfil | Silicon Valley | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Jackson Perry | Salina | University of Kansas |
| Aryana Persaud | Central Florida | University of Florida |
| Henry Powell | Greater Richmond | Virginia Tech University |
| Emma Stavely | Green Valley Ranch | University of San Diego |
| Hannah Stouder* | Greater Sacramento | University of Nevada, Reno |
| Precilla Tea | Greater Pasadena | Scripps College |
| Emily Wuggazer | Manhattan | Kansas State University |
| Jake Zulueta | Greater Charlotte | North Carolina State University |
*Denotes collegiate golfer
# Denotes First Generation Scholar
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About PGA TOUR First Tee Foundation (“First Tee”)
The mission of First Tee 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. First Tee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization that is supported by the PGA TOUR and many other organizations, foundations, companies and individuals. Over more than 27 years, First Tee has reached millions of young people through its network of 150 Chapters, 12,000 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.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Megan Hart, First Tee
meganhart@firsttee.org
(904) 940-4348