For First Tee – Sandhills alumnus Alex Nguyen, the path from learning life skills on the golf course to exploring career opportunities in cloud computing might seem unexpected, but it’s a testament to how First Tee’s foundation prepares young people for success.
Alex’s professional journey has taken him from serving as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army to pursuing an MBA, interning at Amazon and now navigating an exciting transition into the tech industry.
Through the First Tee Alumni Network, he recently attended AWS re:Invent, the world’s largest cloud computing conference, an experience that proved invaluable as he works toward his goal of becoming a program manager who bridges the gap between innovation and the operational frameworks needed to bring them to life.
Expanding what’s possible
Attending re:Invent, an opportunity made possible by First Tee Trustee AWS, helped Alex expand his horizons. “My time at re:Invent allowed me to explore roles and functions I previously knew little about or thought might be unobtainable,” he said.
Learning directly from AWS employees about their journeys in tech helped Alex refine his approach to his own career transition, particularly valuable as he pivots from military service to the private sector. Currently studying for his MBA at Duke University, Alex gained practical insights into how to communicate his value to potential employers, he said.
When asked to describe re:Invent in three words, Alex chose “insightful, exciting, immersive,” a fitting summary for a conference that brings together tens of thousands of technology professionals, innovators and industry leaders. But among the packed schedule of sessions and exhibits, some of Alex’s most memorable moments happened in familiar territory: on the golf course.
“Golf provides the perfect medium for having meaningful conversations and to dive deep into the experiences of AWS partners and fellow First Tee alumni,” Alex said. The golf outing and networking reception at TPC Las Vegas gave him the chance to connect with professionals in an environment where the life skills he learned at First Tee – like communication, confidence and building relationships – came into play.
“Connecting with First Tee alumni who are at various stages in their career and education was a blast,” he said, highlighting the lasting community that First Tee creates.
Enduring values and connections
Alex said First Tee lessons like integrity, perseverance, respect and judgment all carried into his military service and continue to guide him today. Now he’s following his dreams using strategies he learned at First Tee. “Whether it was planning for grad school or preparing for a career transition into tech, I use the framework taught to me by my First Tee coaches and mentors to break down a vision into sets of actionable goals,” he said.
For Alex, staying engaged with First Tee as an alumnus was a natural choice. “First Tee was a constant for me growing up,” he said. But beyond nostalgia, he’s found that the alumni community continues to offer real value, including connections to other young professionals who share similar values. Alex’s experience at re:Invent is just one example of how First Tee’s alumni program creates opportunities that extend far beyond the golf course.