First Tee alumni meetups are a great chance for former participants to network and reconnect. You never know who you might run into. But at The Chevron Championship last week, two young leaders got a surprise of a different kind.
Aarya Shewale from First Tee – Greater Houston and Carlie Matengula from First Tee – Greater Austin were both attending an alumni gathering on April 23 when they were surprised with invitations to join the First Tee College Scholarship Program.
Aarya is a senior from Katy, Texas, with plans to study aerospace engineering at Texas A&M University. He’s been part of First Tee – Greater Houston for eight years, earning Ace certification and participating in Game Changers Academy, Innovators Forum and Leadership Academy in Atlanta. Inspired by his experience at Innovators Forum, he launched the Katy Chess Academy, a service project that teaches kids life skills through chess. He also runs a 3D printing business with more than 70 clients and leads cadets in the Civil Air Patrol. Aarya drives more than 70 miles round trip every week to attend First Tee, a detail that says everything about how much it means to him.
Carlie is a senior from Cedar Park, Texas, who will begin her political science studies at Howard University this fall. She’s been with First Tee – Greater Austin for seven years, serving as a junior coach since 2020 and participating in Innovators Forum and Leadership Academy in Atlanta. In her senior year, Carlie organized Tee Her Up, a golf clinic she built from scratch for 100 minority girls after seeing a gap and deciding to close it herself. She brings that same commitment to the course as a junior coach every Saturday, where she leads young participants through golf fundamentals and life skills.
Launched in 2020, the First Tee College Scholarship Program provides selected alumni with financial support, mentorship and professional development opportunities to help them succeed in college and beyond. Since its inception, more than 120 First Tee Scholars have benefited from this comprehensive support system, designed to prepare them for success both academically and personally.
The First Tee College Scholarship Program is made possible by donors and corporate partners like Chevron, who’s celebrating 15 years of support for First Tee.
Learn more about the First Tee Alumni Network.
