DALLAS – Four Dallas-area high school graduates will be starting their college careers with a helping hand from the McKool Smith law firm through scholarships facilitated by The First Tee of Dallas, a nonprofit group dedicated to providing opportunities for young people.
McKool Smith is the first business to contribute to The First Tee of Dallas’ Scholars Program. The scholarships will go towards students’ first year of tuition at the universities of their choice. This year’s recipients include Valeria De Fex from North Hills Preparatory, Jenna McCoppin from W.T. White High School, Brittney Lightfoot from Dallas’ Talented & Gifted Magnet, and Jonathan Dupard from Duncanville High School. The students were chosen based largely on their contributions to the First Tee community, as well as their academic record and a written essay.
“Life is like a golf swing,” one student’s essay began, “we are always looking for ways to make it better.”
The First Tee of Dallas’s mission is to provide young people of all backgrounds an opportunity to develop themselves, both athletically and emotionally. In addition to making golf accessible and affordable to children who otherwise might not have an opportunity to experience the sport, First Tee holds programs that emphasize interpersonal communication, goal-setting, conflict resolution, and self-management. “More than a game,” First Tee asserts, golf is a vehicle through which children can learn perseverance, judgment, courtesy, and respect.
“We are extremely impressed with First Tee’s efforts to instill honesty, confidence, courtesy, and integrity in Dallas’ young people,” said McKool Smith co-founder Mike McKool. “We’re delighted to help these deserving students.”
Other businesses interested in the Scholars Program and the other worthwhile efforts of The First Tee of Dallas should contact Marilyn Evans at 214.954.4402 or visit the website www.thefirstteedallas.org.
With more than 130 litigators working as an integrated team across offices in New York, Washington, DC and Texas, McKool Smith has established a reputation as one of America's leading trial firms. The firm has been recognized by The National Law Journal and VerdictSearch for winning more Top 100 verdicts than any other U.S. law firm during the past five years. McKool Smith represents leading clients across a broad range of practice areas, including complex commercial litigation, intellectual property, bankruptcy, and white collar defense.