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Jorgeo Catolico, Freshman, University of California, San Diego: Jorgeo will be graduating from Mount Miguel High this June with a 4.2 GPA. Next fall, he will be attending University of California, San Diego where he plans to major in Electrical Engineering and also join the golf team. Jorgeo is an active member of the Pro Kids Academy in San Diego as well as being an active Youth on Course participant. “I had already been playing golf for a long time, prior to the Youth on Course program. However, thanks to the program, I was able to play more golf and improve my game. I can not thank the SCGA Foundation enough.”
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Scott Coonis, Sophomore, Santa Barbara Community College: Scott has just completed his first year at SBCC. In the near future, he is planning to transfer to University of California, Irvine and study Video Game Design. He hopes to focus his efforts specifically in the field of Creative Development. Coonis, who has overcome many obstacles in his life, has shown that he has been able to succeed despite life’s challenges, earning a 3.4 GPA in his first year of college. “I want to thank the SCGA Foundation for awarding me a scholarship. The generosity has taught me to always believe in myself and to aim high.” |
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Desiree Dominguez, Junior, Fullerton College: Desiree was introduced to golf though the Tiger Woods Learning Center her freshman year of high school. She was the captain of the varsity golf team and played on the Fullerton College team her freshman year. She feels that golf has taught her many things including patience, self-improvement, manners and discipline. She says, “I think golf has made me a better person because it has made me try harder in school. If I don’t’ get good grades, then I cannot play golf.” She plans to transfer to a four-year University where she will major in Criminal Justice. Dominguez, an active volunteer with the SCGA Foundation, says, “Volunteering is one of the best things a person can do in life.” She joined the Fullerton College Latina Leadership Team last year and has had an opportunity to work on various volunteer projects with them as well. |
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Sharon Don, Sophomore, California State University at Fullerton: Sharon plans to major in communications and enjoys writing, acting and graphic design. As a past participant and current volunteer for the Tiger Woods Learning Center, she credits TWLC for “fueling her interests.” By getting involved in the Computer Clubhouse, she has built her skills in graphic designing. In addition to working with the Tiger Woods Learning Center, Sharon completed her first 5K this year while also maintaining a 4.0 GPA and earning Honorable Mention for her commercial entry in the “Why Soda Sucks” campaign. She has been a volunteer with the SCGA Foundation at events such as the Couple’s Getaway at Terranea Resort. |
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Long Duong, Freshman, University of California, Santa Cruz: Long will be attending University of California, Santa Cruz where he will be majoring in Computer Science. He has been a member of the Pro Kids Academy in San Diego since the 7th grade and was drawn in when a member of its staff spoke at his middle school. “Seeing him hit a chip from 30 yards away into the hole amazed my friend and I. It was an amazing shot that got me hooked on golf.” Along with playing golf, he is also a four-year varsity tennis player and will be a team captain this year. |
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Wally Gonzalez, Sophomore, University of Hartford, Livingston Foundation Scholar, 2011-Present: Wally is majoring in Business Management while also playing for the Hartford Hawks golf team. He competed in 11 tournaments as a freshman and placed third in the Connecticut Cup Tournament in October. In addition to school and golf, he volunteered with the First Tee of Connecticut to teach kids about the game he loves and the life skills that it can teach. He hopes that after graduation he can open his own golf business. He said, “I want to do this because I want to be close to the game of golf, which I am so passionate about.” |
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Andrea Granados, Freshman, Fullerton College: Andrea will be attending Fullerton College next year. She is an active member of the Tiger Woods Learning Center and when asked about the effect it has had on her, she said “It was the most important day of my life when I entered the building in 2008 … I felt very comfortable and knew it was an amazing place.” Andrea was a four-year golfer in high school, where her team won the Orange League championship twice and played in the C.I.F. Championship three times. She explained that golf has taught her “respect, integrity, honor and character” and has had a strong impact on the person she is today. |
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Kristin Grimes, Sophomore, College of the Canyons: Kristin plans to major in International Business Management. She says, “with the skills I have learned from my family, golf and teachers, I will be able to succeed in my chosen field of study." She has been playing golf since 2002 and says golf was a “family sport.” She has taken that love of golf and become a member of the Cougars women’s golf team. This season, she was the California Community College AA Individual State Champion. She has also been a participant in the First Tee of South Los Angeles since 2003, where she feels that “golf has helped her through everyday challenges, shaped her into a respectable young woman and given her the acknowledgement that she can accomplish anything.” |
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Alma Gutierrez, Sophomore, California State University at Fullerton: Alma is majoring in Anthropology, with a focus on Cultural Anthropology. Her goals after school are to join the Peace Corps and eventually get her Master’s degree. “I want to change the world into a better place and the SCGA is helping me do that by giving me a chance to attend college," she says. Even while being in school, she still continues her work with the Tiger Woods Learning Center. When asked about her passion for working at Tiger Woods Learning Center, she explained that, “I am a role model to the students and that makes me feel good because some of those children do not have roles models they can look up to.” Alma is part of the TWLC Leadership Team and tutors their students. |
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Ryan Herd, Junior, Cypress College: Ryan is intending to major in Geography, with a focus on the art of map making. He chose Geography because, “With Geography, I am able to work with both the science/physical prospective as well as the human/cultural prospective.” By next spring, he plans to transfer to either Fresno State University or Cal State University, Stanislaus. He explained about his involvement in golf and the SCGA Foundation that, “it has taught me how to take all my potential for the game and use it in good ways.” |
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Victor Jackson Jr., Freshman, Morehouse College: Victor will be attending Morehouse College in Atlanta this fall, where he will major in Biology/Pre-Med and play on the golf team. As a member of the First Tee of South Los Angeles, he has worked as a volunteer instructor, using the skills he learned as a three-time varsity golf captain at his high school. He is also currently the President of the Young Black Scholars Leadership Council, where he organizes and leads YBS workshops. Having participated in SCGA Foundation events such as G.A.M.E. Days, he explained that, “being involved with the SCGA has made me a better person and golfer, both on and off the course.” |
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Ezequiel Jauregui, Freshman, University of California, San Diego: Ezequiel, or Zeke, will be attending University of California, San Diego in the fall, where he plans to major in Biomedical Engineering and hopefully play for the golf team. He has been a member of the Tiger Woods Learning Center for the past five years, and even though he joined initially because of his golf interest, it has become so much more to him. “The center quickly became my second home, a place where I learned more about myself and could explore different career paths through hands-on activities.” He has also been very active with the SCGA Foundation and told us that “the Foundation has prepared me both academically and individually to plan ahead and accomplish my goals.” |
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Wesley Levanduski, Junior, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs: Wesley is a member of the Professional Golf Management program, where he is currently the Tournament Director. In an article for the SCGA website, he explained that “like the SCGA Foundation's idea of pioneering leadership, the PGM program promotes leadership as well. Freshmen through seniors can hold positions such as Class Representative, President or Vice President on our Executive Board.” His goal is to one day work as a head golf professional or with The First Tee. One of his most memorable projects with The First Tee was creating a program to collect and sort donated junior golf sets for other members of the Central Coast chapter. Levanduski will be starting a six-month PGA internship in May with Pronghorn Golf Club & Resort in Bend, OR. |
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Grisell Medina, Sophomore, Chapman University, Livingston Foundation Scholar, 2011-Present: Grisell is a double major, currently studying Psychology and Spanish. She says in her career statement that she “intends to dedicate myself in my career where I am able to benefit my surrounding community. I will work myself up and dedicate my time to be a psychologist and apply it to my everyday life, where I can also learn from others.” Grisell, who says she is a beginner in golf, is “aware of the traits that the game can build within me and it involves a lot of focus." In addition to her volunteer work with the SCGA Foundation, she has worked with the Boys and Girls Club of Anaheim as a mentor. |
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Madilena Mendiola, Sophomore, Mount Holyoke College: Madilena just completed her freshman year, where she earned a 3.7 GPA while being a member of both her school’s golf and indoor track team. She is exploring the possibility of becoming an engineer, with a focus on creating affordable yet eco-friendly homes. In regard to her future after graduation, she stated that, “I want to pursue a career in which I can contribute to the improvement of human life.” She was an active member of Pro Kids Golf from 2004 until 2011, where, in 2009, she was recognized as the All-Academic Athlete of the Year. |
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Eduardo Muñoz, Sophomore, Allegheny College: Eduardo is majoring in Biology and “has his heart set on becoming a physician and feels this will combine his love for science and further help society in general." Eduardo believes in the “pay it forward theory,” and has raised heath care awareness by way of an organization called The Hearts that Believe and the Hands that Achieve (HOSA). In addition to his passion for medicine, he has also begun studying the German language. As a result, he will be living and studying in Germany during the Fall 2012 semester as part of a study abroad program run through his school’s German department. |
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Elise Polk, Freshman, University of California, Los Angeles: Elise plans to attend UCLA in the fall to study Biological Studies. Having overcome many obstacles in her life, she earned a 4.22 GPA in high school while also building an impressive golf resume. She competed all four years while earning team MVP honors four times, team captain twice and first team all-conference honors three times. A member of the Pro Kids Academy in San Diego, she was introduced to the game of golf in 2005 at a camp held at their facility. She has continued to be a fixture at the facility, volunteering every Friday to help with homework as well as golf. |
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Kenneth Punyasavatsut, Junior, University of California, Irvine: Kenny is majoring in Nursing Science “in order to save the lives of many patients and have the chance to care for his parents." Kenny currently volunteers at the St. Francis Medical Center on a weekly basis, where he works in the Emergency Room fast track. Kenny started playing golf when he was just five years old with the hope “to be like his sister." Since 2007, he has been involved with the Tiger Woods Learning Center, where he works every Saturday, and is a frequent volunteer at many SCGA Foundation events. Most recently, he played in the 2012 Golf Marathon at Arcadia Golf Club, raising $1,275 for the scholarship program. He was also named this year’s SCGA Foundation Volunteer of the Year. |
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Eduardo Rivas, Sophomore, Lewis & Clark College: Eduardo is currently a double major, studying Psychology and Hispanic Studies, while also pursuing a minor in Latin American Studies. When asked about his future, he replied that he “hopes that throughout his years in college, he will grow to become a better leader, learner and thinker and apply what he learns to the goal of helping other people in need." Rivas has had an impact in his community through his many volunteer roles and says, “I care about my community because I feel comfortable living here, and I want to make a change so it can be a better place." |
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Roberto Rosas, Junior, Columbia University: Roberto is working towards earning a business degree with a focus in Economics. He was introduced to golf though Pro Kids Golf Academy in San Diego. He said that, “becoming a part of the Pro Kids community was truly an amazing experience. Members looked far beyond racial difference and economic backgrounds because we were all tightly connected by a passion for golf.” He is the first person to go to college in his family and was able to teach himself English in middle school. He says, “My educational goal is to grasp a complete understanding of business and economics so I can enter the workforce after a four-year college experience and then enter graduate school after having some experience in the field of business." He recently completed an internship at Macquarie Securities Group in New York and plans to work with Qualcomm this summer in San Diego. |
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Vivian Shoemaker, Sophomore, Mt. San Jacinto College: A member of Grandfathers for Golf, Vivian is majoring in Agriculture Education while also playing on her school’s golf team. She is planning to transfer to CSU Chico with a goal of becoming a high school Agriculture teacher. She is a member of the Future Farmers of America and hopes to one day become an advisor for the organization. She says about her family and golf, “It’s not very often that an entire family can go out and play the same sport and have some good competition going on, and I am so appreciative that I get that opportunity.” She has volunteered at multiple SCGA Foundation events, including the 2011 Golf Marathon. |
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Mark Taylor, Junior, San Diego State University: Mark is majoring in Kinesiology, with the hope of becoming a Physical Therapist. First introduced to golf by his father, he is a member of Pro Kids Golf Academy in San Diego where he volunteers by assisting with fieldtrips, golf tournaments and administrative support. This summer, he hopes to gain some experience in the field of Physical Therapy by interning with either the Balboa Naval Hospital or the SDSU Athletic Department. When asked about being chosen as an SCGA Scholar, he replied, “As a recipient of this award, I will take full responsibility of this opportunity and make sure I stay focused on my studies towards becoming a physical therapist.” |
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Herbert “Trey” Woods III, Freshman, El Camino Comminity College: Herbert, who goes by Trey, will be attending El Camino Community College in the fall, where he plans to study Communications and play golf. Trey is one of the most active participants with the SCGA Foundation and the First Tee of South Los Angeles. He was one of the founding members of G.A.M.E. Club, and was a volunteer at the 2012 Golf Marathon at Arcadia Golf Club. Having spoke at the 2011 SCGA Hall of Fame Dinner, he told the crowd “how the program has changed my life, the opportunities it has given me, and how important mentoring and giving back to your community is.” |
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Titus Wu, Junior, USC: Titus has completed two years at Cypress College and will transfer to USC in the spring of 2013 to study Business. He has been involved with the Tiger Woods Learning Center for four years and volunteers there to help students with homework and academic support. He was also a volunteer for this year’s Junior Blind Golf Clinic. Wu says this about golf: “In life, there are always obstacles blocking you from attaining your goals, and in golf, there is always a bunker before you reach the hole. You have to persevere through the obstacle and hope you can get the ball into the hole.” |
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David Yambao, Freshman, Irvine Valley College: David will be attending Irvine Valley College in the fall, where he is planning to study either Biology or Nursing. David has a passion for the game of golf. Although he has only been playing for a few years, through hard work and help from the Tiger Woods Learning Center, he hopes to be able to play in college. Not only did the Tiger Woods Learning Center help him with golf, but it has also taught him how to set goals and work hard to achieve them. Click here to learn more about Dave. |
