Common Course: The Power of Possibility

*In partnership with Wells Fargo*

Though it was my dad who was the first one to place a club in my hand, it was the support of my First Tee coaches that made me enamored with the game.

Allow me to explain.

My golf journey began at the age of two, taking swings in my backyard using an old TaylorMade iron my dad had cut down and spray painted pink. (Back then, I wouldn't so much as look at something unless it was pink.) Golf was our father/daughter thing. Each and every Sunday, he and I would go out and spend the mornings together at the course down the street—mainly so I could "practice my driving", because when you're the kid of an avid golfer, your first lesson behind the wheel was a golf cart.

A few summers later, when I was around the age of seven, I hit my driver beyond 100 yards for the first time. I remember my dad's elated reaction, and asking him how far he hit his driver. To which he jokingly responded, "about 100 yards".

On the car ride home that same day, according to my father, I asked him, "if I hit it 100 yards, and you hit it 100 yards, why am I taking lessons from you?" The very next day, I went to my first ever First Tee clinic at my local chapter—and the rest is kind of history.

Serving more than 3 million kids annually, First Tee is a nonprofit youth development organization that teaches juniors about the game as well as essential life skills like goal setting, networking, and being positive influences in their communities.

My parents had done some research and wanted a summer activity that both my brother (who is seven years older) and I could do together. They found out about the First Tee from the local newspaper and were willing to give it a try. I don't think any of us expected that both my brother and I would take such a strong liking to golf.

From age seven to 15, I spent nearly every day of the week at my First Tee. Every evening after school, morning classes over the weekend, summer camps, I did it all. It's where I meant some of my best friends growing up, some of which I'm still in touch with this very day.

Our facility was equipped with a traditional 18 hole course, a three hole par-3 loop, and our little club house that had carpeted steps—the first place I truly began learning about myself.

The lessons my coaches instilled in me as a kid are skills that I've carried with me throughout my entire life. Finding conviction in saying my name and speaking it proudly when introducing myself to others. Knowing how to give a proper handshake—which is a lot like gripping a club. It's where I learned that being supportive of others isn't just the right thing to do, but the best thing you can do—yes our game is an individual sport, but winning and being successful isn't possible without the people pushing you up along the way.

The nine core values: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy, and judgment were like law to me. They shaped my adolescence and I was taught to apply them to every situation in life.

The First Tee opened doors for me to leadership opportunities, scholarships, and networking events. And despite not playing competitively beyond high school—First Tee still found its way into my life because it's so much more than just the golf.

It's been a few years since I've reconnected with my First Tee family, but on Tuesday of TOUR Championship week in Atlanta, Georgia, I got the opportunity to spend the day with other alumni who had similar experiences to me growing up.

In partnership with the First Tee of Metro Atlanta, Wells Fargo hosted a scramble to bring the community together in support of the next generation of future golfers and First Tee participants. Wells Fargo has been a proud national partner of First Tee program for more than a decade, contributing over $2 million to support the organization’s mission of empowering youth through golf.

This scramble tournament was another iteration of community outreach Wells Fargo has been doing for years, and I was honored to be a part of the action.

The day kicked off with the 18-hole tournament where I got to play with three other alumni and a few friends of Wells Fargo and the First Tee, PGA TOUR players Webb Simpson, David Ford, and Brendon Todd.

Simpson joined us for a few holes—and no, we didn't use his shots to better our scores—where he shared some knowledge, gave us a few swing tips, and dished on his favorite on course snack, an almond butter and butter sandwich.

Questionable sandwich choices aside, the vibes of the day were immaculate. My playing partners, Nyla Sims, Kristin Nwadike, and Anthony Ford were incredible. Three young people, all recent college graduates, who have been empowered to chase their dreams and make a difference in their communities.

Sims is a 2022 graduate from University of Maryland Eastern Shore, where she studied professional golf management. She's now a current coach at the First Tee-Palm Beaches and she's focused on helping grow the game using the same lessons she was taught at a young age.

But it was her experience at the First Tee Future Entrepreneurs presented by Wells Fargo that she credits to being one of the most impactful takeaways she's had as an alumni. It was an opportunity where First Tee participants who are currently attending or who have graduated from an Historically Black College and University (HBCU) were paired with a PGA TOUR Professional during the Pro-Am at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow.

And even though Sims played alongside Rory McIlroy (casual), it was the lessons on financial literacy that really stood out and she aims to instill those skills in her junior golfers. "It was incredible. They selected three HBCU students, to basically give them a mentor for professional and personal development," she explained. "To play golf with Rory was even more incredible—I felt like I was dreaming the whole time I was there."

She hopes to own her own business one day, an idea that is still baking, but for now she's focused on the game and propelling it forward the best way she can.

Anthony Ford, another one of our playing partners, is on a similar journey. Local to the Atlanta area, Ford is a First Tee of East Lake alumnus, and went on to play Division I golfer at Howard University. As a member of the Class of 2024, he got his degree in Business Management. Since joining First Tee in 2014, Ford has dedicated himself to youth development, mentoring, and using golf as a tool to teach life skills. And just like Sims, his post-grad journey has brought him back home teaching kids the fundamentals of the game.

Ford has aspirations to play professionally, so he and Simpson were comparing notes. Every word the PGA TOUR vet spoke, Ford held on to and listened intently, because with this game, the learning never ever stops.

Our fourth partner, and the one who rounded out the group was alumni Kristen Nwadike. A graduate of the University of Georgia, where she received a Bachelors of Science in Biology in Spring 2022 and an MBA in finance and analytics the following year. Her aspirations are to become a business or financial analyst, in addition to continuing to serve in her community.

Nwadike and Ford grew up together, both local to the Atlanta area, and like him, now she spends most of her time back where it all began and is volunteering with First Tee as a coach.

"When I first started playing golf I wasn't the best," Nwadike shared. "I'd shank the ball or top it, and I often wondered if it was even for me. But through mentorships of different coaches and staff I stayed with it and grew through the program.

It's [First Tee] the best kept secret, I wish more people would be involved."

Our game is the best form of connecting, because what I quickly discovered about each of these three people was how much we all have in common.

We grew up on the same core values. We have the same belief system. And we each have a story about how what we learned gave us the tools necessary to dream big—the power of possibility.

We're all a bunch of 20-somethings, in the very beginnings of figuring out our lives and career paths—unsure of what exactly the future holds. But instead of feeling anxious and scared of the unknown, we have those life lessons to fall back on, goal-setting, tapping into our alumni network, to feel excited about the possibilities.

It's because of First Tee and its partners like Wells Fargo, that we have the space to explore our futures that aren't only bound to the limitations of golf. We were all taught that it's the game of life, and we can be anyone we want to be. From business owners to analysts—the sky is the limit.

Years later, we each are getting to experience once in a lifetime opportunities because of First Tee and rubbing shoulders with folks we grew up watching like Webb Simpson and Brendon Todd.

For Simpson and Todd, who connected with the organization through their Wells Fargo ambassadorship, they each shared with me just how much it means to them to see the growth of the game. "Wells Fargo has seen the uniqueness of the First Tee and the chapters throughout the country, and they have been consistent with that support," Simpson told Skratch.

"And I know from experience since 2009 in Charlotte, getting my first experience of the First Tee chapter there, in that community. I was really blessed to see the passion that the junior golfers had to learn that this great game has brought me so much in life."

Between myself, my fellow alumni, and the Wells Fargo player ambassadors, we're all examples of what this partnership is, has done and will continue to do. First Tee chapters nationwide benefit from hands-on banking programs, golf clinics, and other unique WF activations, and other financial literacy activations all while enjoying the greatest game on earth.

What we all got to experience together is the power of connection. The First Tee and other youth golf development programs are what make the game what it is. The ground level community building that keeps us all in the stratosphere and eager to give back because of how much it's impacted us.

What Wells Fargo has done in the last decade has been huge, and I hope that it's a partnership that continues to grow. Another decade. Another million dollars. More alumni experiences and opportunities.

We never stop learning. We never stop growing—and longevity is what keeps this all going. The ultimate power in what's possible.