EYE TO THE FUTURE |
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Renderings of the new Rock Creek clubhouse . Construction is tentatively set to begin this fall .
“ through the grapevine ,” Joey said , so he signed Joey up to see if she would like it .
“ From that first class , my dad saw that I really enjoyed it and that I had made some friends through the program ,” Nguyen said . “ He really just let me go and learn what I liked about the game on my own . He kind of sat back and let me enjoy it . And over time , that general interest turned into me wanting to compete , wanting to play in tournaments .
“ My dad just really let me go through that process on my own and let me stay with the First Tee and develop those skills . I ’ m so glad I ’ m still with the program today .”
Fast forward to 2024 , and the impact First Tee has had on Nguyen is undeniable . She ’ s earned national playing opportunities like competing in the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach ( a PGA Tour Champions event where First Tee participants are paired with professional golfers ) and in the First Tee National Championship . Educational opportunities like the First Tee Leadership Academy have helped her thrive .
Nguyen — who is spending this summer as a social media intern for the organization
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— earned a VSGA-VIP Scholarship Foundation award in May , was the captain of Lake Braddock Secondary School ’ s golf team as a senior and will play college golf at Drew University in New Jersey , where she plans on studying finance or data science .
“ Even though the First Tee is a golf program , it offers way more than golf ,” she said . “ It offers life skills , learning about yourself and friendships . The First Tee is very diverse , and you meet a lot of cool , different people . There ’ s always going to be that somebody for you . And even if it ’ s not in that first class , you might meet your best friend in your next class .”
Diego DeJesus is another First Tee – GWDC success story . A recent graduate of Thomas Edison High School in Alexandria , DeJesus benefited greatly from the First Tee curriculum , which helped him narrow his focus in both academics and athletics . Basketball was his first love , but once he began his First Tee journey , golf quickly shot up his list of interests .
Like Nguyen , DeJesus got into golf because his father was an avid player . His brother Gerald is also a First Tee participant . As he got serious about the game ,
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LEFT : First Tee girls ’ golf play date in Maryland in 2023 . RIGHT : Diego DeJesus poses with PGA Tour Champions standout Thongchai Jaidee at the PURE Insurance Open .
a clear goal materialized — playing in the PURE at Pebble Beach . At the time , he played to a 12 handicap , not nearly good enough to earn national playing opportunities . The grind truly began during his sophomore year at Edison .
“ I was playing every single day , every summer ,” DeJesus said . “ The First Tee really set me on my way .”
In two years , his index dropped from 12 to 3.1 , affording him the Pebble Beach opportunity . He played with Thongchai Jaidee in the 2023 event , which Jaidee won in a playoff . The opportunity to see professional golf up close was eye-opening for DeJesus .
“ It was mind-blowing ,” DeJesus said . “ When you see them on TV , it ’ s different . Then you see them in real life and they swing so naturally , so easily . It ’ s unbelievable to watch their concentration and all the different little things they do .”
DeJesus is currently rehabbing from a torn knee ligament , but he hopes to be out on the golf course soon . He ’ ll attend Northern Virginia Community College for one year and has plans on transferring to a four-year school to play golf after that .
“ The nine core values were huge for me , and my mom really liked those too ,” DeJesus said . “ It ’ s really shaped me into the person I am today . Honesty , integrity , sportsmanship , all those things shaped me into a nice , respectful young man .”
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FULL CIRCLE
Though both Nguyen and DeJesus are aging out of the program , both have plans on volunteering to stay connected with
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FIRST TEE - GREATER WASHINGTON D . C |
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vsga . org |