On and off the course, First Tee – West Michigan participant Addi Schneider is a true game changer, always leading others with kindness and empathy.
“Leadership isn’t just about achieving a goal,” Addi said. “It’s about having the grit to stay by someone’s side until they believe in their own potential.” That belief guides everything she does, and this week she is carrying it all the way to the First Tee Leadership Summit in partnership with PGA TOUR Superstore in Montana.
A leader in the making
Addi has been involved with First Tee – West Michigan for five years and now serves as a First Tee volunteer coach. Beyond the course, she volunteers with her school’s Special Olympics program and serves as a peer mentor, supporting students with special needs in the classroom.
This spring, Addi took her leadership to the next level after participating in Leadership Series, a five-week program presented in partnership with PGA TOUR Superstores across the country that helps First Tee participants explore their strengths, values and possible career paths. There, she discovered her core strengths — discipline, focus and achievement. Now, she’s one of 40 participants attending Leadership Summit, where she’ll deepen her leadership skills through outdoor adventures and team-building activities.
A diagnosis that shaped her leadership style
Addi’s leadership style has been forged since first grade, when she was diagnosed with dyslexia.
The diagnosis brought real challenges: the frustration of falling behind her peers and moments when she felt like a burden to classmates and teachers. But as Addi grew older, her perspective shifted. Rather than viewing dyslexia as a weakness, she came to view it as a superpower that gave her a unique ability to empathize with others.
That empathy shows up every week during the classes Addi coaches as a volunteer coach, where she connects with participants, understands their struggles and works to instill confidence in each of them.
During one class discussion on positive self-identity, Addi asked participants to share how they live out one of First Tee values in their own lives. One response stuck with her: A participant said it doesn’t matter what others think. It matters what you think of yourself.
That moment reminded Addi of the impact she was making. “My greatest strength is the character I have that allows me to help students find their own voice,” she said. “And with that, the confidence to be themselves.”
She brings that same purpose to her high school’s peer-to-peer program, where she supports students with special needs. Having experienced firsthand what it feels like to struggle and fall behind, Addi understands that not every student learns the same way and leads with a commitment to provide each of them equal opportunities to succeed.
Looking ahead
Her experience with the program has encouraged her to pursue a degree in special education and minor in American Sign Language, working toward a world that values access, empathy and equality. She’s already living that mission today: “My daily goals are to lead with kindness and make a difference in others’ lives,” she said.
Addi’s journey has shaped her into a leader who meets people with patience, empathy, and unshakeable belief in their potential, and that journey is just getting started. In Montana, she will carry the same values that have guided her all along: discipline, focus and a heart for helping others find their voice.
