Bella Villarin has plenty of experience writing the news. But next week, she’ll be making it as a participant in the 2023 PURE Insurance Championship impacting First Tee, a PGA TOUR Champions event that will air on Golf Channel.
A senior at Coronado High School, Bella is a First Tee – San Diego participant and captain of her school’s golf team. She took up the sport 13 years ago and now boasts a +0.8 handicap. Bella is also an accomplished journalist, having published more than 200 articles as an intern for The Coronado Times.
Now 17, Bella has already traveled the globe and experienced diverse cultures.
She originally joined First Tee – Hampton Roads in Virginia when she was 4, but later her family moved to Singapore where her father was stationed for the military. The four years Bella spent in Singapore were longer than she had ever lived in one spot, and returning to the U.S. was difficult, she said.
“There were vast differences between Singapore and San Diego. The food, the people, the weather – nearly every aspect of our lives were brand new,” she said.
However, one thing carried through: Bella continued to play golf in each of the places she lived.
Bella became involved with First Tee – San Diego when her family moved back to the U.S. through her cousin, Reece, who is a First Tee – San Diego and Harvard alumna. One of the things Bella has enjoyed most about First Tee is getting to meet kids from different backgrounds. She’s met participants from Somalia to Ukraine, and she’s been able to serve as a mentor and mentee.
“I have made countless friendships and lifelong relationships with fellow golfers, coaches and volunteers,” she said.
Off the golf course, Bella completed more than 100 hours of community service in 2022, and she volunteers with the American Red Cross. She is also president of her school’s Days for Girls Club, which supports women and girls in developing countries by creating reusable feminine hygiene products that allow them to attend school during their menstrual cycles.
Along with the other 79 First Tee participants in the tournament this week, be sure to cheer on Bella as she competes in her first PURE Insurance Championship.
Learn more about the PURE Insurance Championship.
On the heels of the recent announcement highlighting 
“Each class is filled with more than 200 students and it’s hard to get that one-on-one interaction with my classmates as well as the professor,” Wei said. “Also, since classes are virtual, I have to rely on myself to get things done and keep track of the assignments that are due. Perseverance has been extremely important, as I have been flooded with homework the first two weeks of school and with perseverance, I was able to get through it. I realized that college isn’t as easy as I thought it was, but I will continue to work hard to achieve my goals.”
Kelly Low from First Tee — Fort Worth has had a good experience taking online classes through the University of Texas at Dallas, but says every week holds a new challenge.
“In the past, I struggled a lot, whether that was with my grades or playing golf,” she admits. “But First Tee taught me how to navigate through challenges, embracing that struggle, and most importantly to have confidence in myself and what I can accomplish.”
Ricky Lam started school this fall at Harvard University. He is also in a virtual learning environment, studying linear algebra, microeconomics and classical Chinese philosophy, while living in student housing in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
“My college experience has been amazing,” Lam said. “Because of the pandemic, much of the rush for socializing has slowed down and become more inclusive, helping me feel less overwhelmed with the transition to college. I have been able to use First Tee’s focus on open-ended questions to become more vulnerable, caring, and curious to meet those around me, facilitating deeper and more enjoyable conversations.”
Lam, an alumnus of First Tee — Tri-Valley, went on to tell about how important it was to meet his mentor, James, who was able to give him practical insights into what his future in finance, private equity and financial advising could look like.
“We had such a fulfilling first conversation,” Lam added. “His story, his ups-and-downs and his immense perseverance throughout his career in finance was truly inspiring to me. I am so grateful to First Tee for this experience.”
First Tee — Miami alumna Nicole Monsalve is planning on majoring in economics at Duke University, and despite the COVID regulations that have been implemented on campus, she also has been able to get to see new faces (the top half at least) and make friends that have made this transition a little less challenging and a lot more fun.
“Courtesy is a big value that I am focusing on here in college,” Monsalve said. “I have made sure to learn the names of the cleaning crew in my building, the ladies and gentlemen in the cafeteria, the guys at the smoothie bar I go to, and those that oversee the gym, so that every time I see them I am able to give them a proper greeting and call them by their name. It may seem small, but you can see how happy they are when you go out of your way to recognize them. In doing this, the school feels more like a community and I feel more at home.”
Remi Shendell of First Tee – Metropolitan New York has been able to live on campus and take a couple of classes in person while studying Human Health and Biology at Emory University.
“Although it is different than what I imagined college would be like, I am enjoying the people, surroundings, and the new independence that I have,” Shendell said. “One of the most important skills I learned from First Tee was introducing myself and reaching out to people. Living at college in a pandemic can be isolating because there are a lot of new people and not that many scheduled opportunities to meet them in person. First Tee gave me confidence in my social skills, whether it be introducing myself to a fellow classmate or talking to a professor.”
Now, of course, not every scholar was able to attend their intended school this fall. Blake Brantley from First Tee — Triad was set to attend Yale University, but due to COVID limitations, decided to take a gap year instead. Brantley did still attend First Tee’s pre-college retreat and really appreciated all the speakers and information that was provided to keep him on track.
“One of my biggest takeaways came from the time-management portion,” said Brantley of the retreat. “Here we talked about building plans and schedules to help keep us on track every day which has helped me keep moving toward my goals. Everyone within the First Tee organization is very eager to help us all succeed and are happy to provide us with any tools we might need to reach our full potential.”
Jessica Jiao, who participated at First Tee —Metropolitan New York, is currently attending Georgetown University. She also felt the tremendous support from First Tee during the pre-college retreat.
“I had so many people supporting me and as the program goes on, I will always have a team of “go-to people” whom I can rely on for help during my college journey. Through communicating with my First Tee peers, working with my coaches and counselors, I’ve become comfortable with reaching out to others. May it be for help, guidance or support, communication has been one of the most important skills in my life and I’m thankful I was given the chance to collaborate with others through First Tee.”
Applications for next year’s 
Michelle Xie, First Tee — Silicon Valley
Played in 2013 with Kirk Triplett
Michelle recalls her participation in the PURE Insurance Championship as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She played and won the tournament in 2013 alongside Kirk Triplett. The two established an immediate connection, which led to coachable moments on how to manage the mental and physical demands of the game – both on and off the course.
Nothing compared to the exhilaration, nerves and pressure Michelle felt walking down the fairway with Triplett as their pro-junior team was in contention. Those moments of mentorship provided Michelle great perspective to deal with the rigorous schedule of being a student-athlete at Harvard University.
Michelle graduated from Harvard in 2019 with a degree in molecular and cellular biology. She played on the women’s golf team, receiving numerous accolades including being named the 2018 Ivy League Individual Champion and was voted as team captain her senior year.
Michelle recently moved back to the Silicon Valley to join REX Real Estate as a software engineer. Although she is not spending as much time at the golf course as she once did, Michelle still uses the many time management and problem-solving skills she learned from competitive golf and First Tee. Now that Michelle is back home, she has become a volunteer coach at the First Tee — Silicon Valley to mentor the next generation of participants.
Rayshon Payton, First Tee — Metropolitan Oklahoma City
Played in 2005 with Gil Morgan
An alumus from First Tee — Metropolitan Oklahoma City, Rayshon remembers watching the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach on TV in 2000. From that point on, he dreamed of playing on the course one day himself. This dream became a reality in 2005 when he was selected for the PURE Insurance Championship, paired with PGA TOUR Champions player Gil Morgan. They found themselves in the final pairing on Sunday at Pebble Beach where Rayshon ended up holing out from the 12th bunker on national television.
Rayshon has continued to pursue his dreams off the course. He interned at The White House, working in the office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs where he had the opportunity to work with Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett. Today, he is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, College of Law, and is currently the Legislative Director for Representative Kendra Horn.
Sara Scarlett, First Tee — Greater Sacramento
Played in 2011 with Jerry Pate
Being selected for the PURE Insurance Championship is a goal for many First Tee participants. That was definitely the case for alumna Sara Scarlett.
She joined First Tee around the same time that she was diagnosed with scoliosis, a curvature of the spine. Sara’s confidence was low, and she was struggling to balance her medical needs with the desire to have an active and social childhood. First Tee became her sanctuary – a place where she learned the life skills and core values that would ultimately shape her into a confident teenager who always looked on the “bright side.”
In 2011, she played in the PURE Insurance Championship with Jerry Pate. Some of Sara’s favorite memories include chipping in on the 10th hole at Pebble Beach and the motivational talks with her partner. Sara went on to play on the women’s golf team at University of Texas, graduating in 2017.
Sara now works for Chevron on the Corporate Affairs team where she works with the local community and nonprofits on Chevron-supported initiatives. Sara says she is lucky to have been taught the value of diversity at a young age from First Tee.
Taryn Yee, First Tee — Greater Sacramento
Played in 2009 with Jim Thorpe
For alumna Taryn Yee, playing in the PURE Insurance Championship was the first major goal she set for herself and accomplished on her own merit. Yee claims that she felt like a star when she first arrived at the 2009 PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach. Taryn played with Jim Thorpe, and she says the biggest takeaway was how confident she was at the end of the tournament. The PURE Insurance Championship and the lessons she learned there have provided her self-confidence that she carried with her through college and now into her successful career.
Taryn was a student-athlete at University of California, Irvine. As a freshman, she was selected to attend the PwC Executive Forum at THE PLAYERS Championship as an alumni opportunity with First Tee. At the event, she met PwC executives, spoke with clients and was introduced to the business industry and public accounting. This experience led to a new goal for Taryn, which was to graduate with an accounting degree and become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). She accomplished that goal, which ultimately led her to career opportunities at PwC, The Gap, and her current position as a financial analyst at Facebook headquarters.
Through setting goals and perseverance, Taryn has been able to stay positive and work through challenges to achieve her goals.
“I have the confidence that I can accomplish anything. There is no such thing as an intangible goal!”
Justin Potwora, First Tee — Greater Portland
Played in 2017 with Bernhard Langer
It wasn’t too long ago that alumnus Justin Potwora was holding up the PURE Insurance Championship trophy with his partner, Bernhard Langer. Meeting First Tee participants from across the country and hearing about their experiences and perspectives left a lasting impact on Justin.
Currently, Justin is entering his senior year at Southern Methodist University where he is majoring in finance. He was recently promoted to Portfolio Manager with Boulevard Investment Group and is also the Philanthropy Chair for his fraternity which raised more than $50,000 for Huntsman Cancer Foundation. His goal is to eventually work for a private equity firm and continue to be a leader in his community. Justin credits First Tee with teaching him how to act professionally, selflessly and never compromise his character and values in whatever he sets out to accomplish.
John Louie, First Tee — Monterey County
Played in 2009 with Donnie Hammond
Played in 2010 with Bobby Clampett
John joined First Tee — Monterey County not long after its inception in September 2004. John attended Salinas High School, but had visions of achieving more. One day he told his father that by using “Goal Setting,” a life skill he had learned at First Tee, he had set a goal to attend Stevenson High School. John applied himself and with his parents’ support, John became a Stevenson “Pirate.”
John competed on the golf team for Stevenson and represented First tee — Monterey County in the 2009 and 2010 tournaments at Pebble Beach.
John was accepted to Middlebury College in Vermont, playing on the men’s golf team for three years. He was tempted to stay on the East Coast and work in finance in New York City like many of his fellow Panthers. However, his heart was in Salinas and the agricultural town where he grew up. He was offered a position with Tanimura & Antle, one of the top agricultural companies in Salinas.
He has since worked his way up the company and now leads one of the firm’s recent acquisitions, PlantTape. John serves on the Board Committee for Taylor Farms Center For Learning. Last year, he was nominated as a member of the Board of Directors of First Tee — Monterey County, where he continues to give back by mentoring teens in the program.