ELMSFORD, N.Y. (June 18, 2009) - Dominick Ferrante, 16, from The First Tee of Nassau County was named an RBS Achiever of the Year during an awards ceremony and dinner attended by Jack Nicklaus, RBS ambassador and Trustee of The First Tee on Wednesday, June 18. Ferrante is the second student from TFTMNY to win the award, the first being Sonya Mendez in 2005. The other 2009 award winner was Katrina Hickey from The First Tee of Fort Smith (Ark.)

Ferrante attends Walt Whitman High School in Huntington Station, New York. He has been a participant at The First Tee of Nassau County in Long Island for three years. Dominick looks at The First Tee as a second family. When he was seven-years-old, his parents divorced and his mom became severely depressed. Later diagnosed as a manic depressive, Dominick witnessed several suicide attempts by his mother.

Dominick’s father, Douglas, moved back to care for him and his younger sister, Brittany, who is also a participant with The First Tee. Much of his father’s salary goes toward medical costs to help care for his mother. The little amount of money originally set aside for college has disappeared. 

With the help of The First Tee, Dominick has learned to manage the things he can control, like his emotions. He has also developed reachable goals and made the high school golf team and is also on the honor roll. Dominick’s father has been pleased with his progress and now volunteers at the Chapter. Not too long ago, Dominick’s mother visited the Chapter and watched her two children play golf for the first time.

The RBS Achievers of the Year Awards, now in its sixth year, is a program created by The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, in conjunction with Charter One and Citizens Bank, to recognize outstanding participants of The First Tee and to help fund their ongoing education after high school. Ferrante will receive a $10,000 scholarship award.
The RBS Achievers of the Year Awards recognize deserving students for accomplishments in their daily lives while overcoming difficult circumstances. The scholarship awards are not based on academic achievement or exceptional golf skills.  The program rewards young people that exhibit The First Tee Nine Core Values while demonstrating leadership, community service and teamwork. 

About The First Tee of Metropolitan New York

The First Tee of Metropolitan New York was created in 2001 as a joint venture between the MGA Foundation and the Metropolitan Section of the PGA to create affordable and accessible golf facilities and bring First Tee programming to young people of all backgrounds throughout the New York metropolitan area. TFTMNY serves as the local chapter in the New York metropolitan area. Facilities include The First Tee of Essex County (Newark, N.J.), The First Tee of Nassau County (Eisenhower Park), The Golf Club at Chelsea Piers, The First Tee at Fairchild-Wheeler (Bridgeport, Conn.), and the main chapter location at Mosholu Golf Course in the Bronx. With these five sites, the MGA Foundation and the Met PGA have now expanded their partnership network to include the New Jersey PGA and the New Jersey State Golf Association and The First Tee of Connecticut in Fairfield County.