Savannah Cherry

For my Service Scholar project, I chose to volunteer with the First Tee organization in Nashville. The game of golf has been an integral part of my life, and it has shaped me into the person I am today. The game of golf has taught me that a true leader does the right thing when no one is looking. I wanted to find an organization where I could teach others that a person can find the courage and have the integrity to persevere in the face of adverse conditions or results. I chose to volunteer with The First Tee organization because their mission is to develop inner strengths of character that kids can carry with them throughout life through the game of golf. I am going to research the mental health impact that sports, specifically golf, has on an athlete and their ability to stay healthy. When volunteering with the First Tee we played games, asked introspective questions and did golf exercises, all of which the First Tee designed to help kids better understand themselves and empowered the kids to strengthen their inner selves. I hope to use my experiences and the challenges I have faced to help the kids go down a similar path so they can develop the same life skill that I have learned while playing the sport that I love.