Abacoa & Alton Neighbors - May 2025

M AY 2 0 2 5 | A B A C O A & A LT O N N E I G H B O R S 15 Serving Our Nation's Heroes FORE FREEDOM CLASSES AT DRIVE SHACK Our Chapter delivers weekly golf programs to hundreds of local veterans. We provide golf equipment, golf instruction, and opportunities to socialize with your peers and play local golf courses. These programs are open to Palm Beach County veterans free of charge. These programs are generously sponsored by Pratt & Whitney and the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation. Veterans can join every Tuesday, starting at 1:00 PM at Drive Shack. Please contact Devin Shaw at shawdevinl@ gmail.com or 334-733-4749 prior to attending a class to ensure availability. Keeping up with Alumni NATHAN VERTES Chapter Alumnus Nathan Vertes volunteers for Beaver Golf while he is home from college. He is excelling at the University of Florida, where he is majoring in biochemistry and pre-pharmacy. Nathan was also one of our inaugural First Tee Scholars, which afforded him a college scholarship from First Tee HQ. HQ has even provided Nathan with a mentor who oversees Pharmacy at the Mayo Clinic. He recently applied to UF’s Pharmacy Early Assurance Program (PEAP) and was accepted. Through this program, he will be provided with mentorships, workshops, and training for a career in pharmacy. To top it off, while on vacation with his family in Michigan, he has begun studying to get his pharmacy technician certification to take the national test. He also applied for and received a summer internship at Physicians Compounding Pharmacy in Bloomfield Hills, MI. After all these accomplishments, you will still find him playing golf and volunteering his time with First Tee students. Guest speakers included PGA TOUR Champions player Dicky Pride and former NFL quarterback and current NFL analyst Brady Quinn. Both shared their experiences, dedication, and work ethic to become successful professional athletes and successful at life. Special thanks to ADT for sponsoring the event and for the generous $10,000 donation to our Chapter. WYLIE WINS HIS FIRST AJGA TOURNAMENT Chapter student Wylie Inman won his first AJGA tournament at Rayburn Resort and Marina in Brooklande, Texas. Wylie shot nine under par for the three-day event and won by three shots after shooting 69-69-66. His final round 66 included an eagle on hole #14 and a closing birdie on hole #18. Wylie commented on the win: "It feels so good to get my first AJGA win. I played with a lot of confidence in my game this weekend, which led to the victory. I traveled to Texas solely to secure this win. Being tied for the lead with 6 holes left, and executing at such a high level down the stretch, was an incredible feeling. This is a week I will never forget." Wylie is committed to play DI golf at the University of South Florida. STEM CLASS AT ST. MARKS Students at St. Mark’s Episcopal School are integrating STEM into their First Tee golf sessions! In week five, they explored ball flight using vector and scalar concepts— vectors determine direction, while scalars measure speed. This hands-on learning helps young golfers improve their swings with science. Our STEM programs are sponsored by Carrier. Carrier supports the next generation of leaders and is committed to positively impacting the community. First Tee - Palm Beaches