Sophia Nguyen, an Eagle participant and Junior Volunteer for The First Tee of San Jose was selected as a 2009 Jack Kent Cook Young Scholar. Sophia was chosen from a pool of over 1,400 students across the country for this prestigious award. Her essays, extracurricular pursuits, and letters of recommendation stood out to the experienced educators who took part in the selection process. This opportunity will give Sophia academic and financial support to develop her gifts and talents throughout high school.

One of Sophia’s essays is about her favorite golf course Rancho del Pueblo and how it describes her personality. Sophia explained that she enjoys the golf course because she likes the wide open spaces and playing golf with her classmates. She also enjoys competing, having fun, making new friends, comparing techniques, giving advice and helping out others. At the golf course Sophia can relax, relieve stress, and interact with others. Besides learning golf, she also learns life enhancing values such as honesty, integrity, respect, confidence, and sportsmanship.