Julia Stopperan Recognized for Frank Kirk Outstanding Participant Award

Julia Stopperan recognized for Frank Kirk Outstanding Participant Award Kansas City, Mo., June 13, 2018: Frank Kirk is a longtime supporter and mentor of The First Tee. Mr. Kirk enjoys the game of golf and has played throughout his life. He tells great stories of playing against golf legends as a junior golfer and believes in the life skills taught at The First Tee. As a board member, Mr. Kirk has assisted The First Tee in growing the donor and community support for more than twenty years. Mr. Kirk is a former Board of Director President and our organization’s Honorary Chair. As a mentor, Mr. Kirk has assisted in connecting The First Tee and the participants to opportunities that grow the organization and the children’s experience. Mr. Kirk knows that golf is a wonderful opportunity for all of our kids to learn important skills needed later in life all while having fun and creating new relationships. Mr. Kirk believes all Kansas City children need access to these skills and works hard to make those connections happen. The Frank Kirk Outstanding Participant Award recognizes a participant’s outstanding activity in The Life Skills Experience, mentorship of younger participants, leadership on and off the golf course, being a positive example of the Nine Core Values, and volunteerism for The First Tee. This year, this honor was awarded to Julia Stopperan. Julia Stopperan, a recent graduate of Shawnee Mission East High School, has been involved in The First Tee for over ten years. Julia is an ACE participant, actively volunteering in The First Tee as a student, coach, and speaker at multiple events. Julia will even participate in The First Tee Par 3 Championship this year. At Shawnee Mission East, Julia led by example inside and outside of the classroom. With a 4.53 GPA, Julia was an AP Scholar and Kansas Honors Scholar. On the golf course, Stopperan and her teammates won the 2015 state championship and finished runner-up two times. In her senior year, Julia was awarded 1st team all-conference and 2nd team all-state honors. Julia is also a standout volunteer, as she planned two charity color runs, assisted at St. Luke’s hospital, and volunteered at the Johnson County Christmas Bureau. The First Tee would like to help Julia continue her great work in the community. The First Tee is actively working to set up interviews and shadow opportunities for Julia in the pediatric medical field. The First Tee is also awarding Julia with a $2500 grant to further her charitable endeavors as she sees fit. Whether that be working with teens in The First Tee program, organizing a reunion for The First Tee alumni, or purchasing equipment for the employee daycare at St. Luke’s, The First Tee is excited to see the positive impact that Julia makes. The First Tee is a youth sports organization that introduces kids to the game of golf and its inherent values and positively impacts their lives. For more information about The First Tee of Greater Kansas City visit https://www.firstteekc.org/. To request an interview with Stopperan, call  (913) 648-7177.