Ashleigh Johnson receives First Tee – South Central Wisconsin’s 2023 Dye Family College Award
First Tee – South Central Wisconsin is proud to announce that Ashleigh Johnson, a 2023 cum laude graduate of Reedsburg Area High School, has been selected to receive the $1,000 Dye Family College Award. To be eligible for the award, an applicant must have been accepted into a 4-year or 2-year college for the first time, participated in the chapter’s programs or volunteered as a mentor, coach, or member of the Youth Advisory Board for at least two years and have a history of community service. Ashleigh fulfills all of these qualifications with ease.
Volunteer, mentor, and coach
After participating in chapter programs as a young girl, Ashleigh spent the last seven years as a chapter volunteer, mentor, and coach. She writes, “The First Tee Program taught me to work with young kids. Helping the kids has taught me responsibility, respect, and judgment. I learned responsibility by needing to get to the course on time and being able to help lead the kids in their group stations. I learned respect because I was able to respect the kids just like they respected me being their coach. Finally, I learned judgment – sometimes you have to judge if a kid is able to do something or if it is better to just let them sit out.”
Helping others in the community
In addition to Ashleigh’s commitment to helping young people in the chapter’s programs, her golf coach, Jesse Monte, advises that Ashleigh has accumulated well over 100 hours of community service leading Bible School, Sunday School, and Camps for her church and has worked concessions to raise money for the school’s golf teams. Ashleigh says, “I love meeting new people, and community service and volunteering is a perfect way to do so. While doing community service, it has really helped me to be able to connect with other people and learn how to communicate with all ages of people.”
Leading by example
Ashleigh was a starter on her high school varsity golf team and lettered all 4 years. Her coach boasts, “As team captain, she led by example. She has earned Academic All-State High Honors, as well as Scholar Athlete awards and broke[n] every individual record on the girls’ golf team. She was looked up to by others to lead the team to reach new levels and break each team record.”
Ashleigh will be attending New Mexico Junior College this fall, and participating on a newly formed women’s golf team. We thank her for all she has contributed to the chapter, wish her a stimulating and satisfying journey through college, and look forward to her continuing involvement in the chapter’s mission for years to come.
