Part of the mission of Nevada Golf—and formerly the Northern Nevada Golf Association—is to grow the game and help young golfers become successful. In 2026, Northern Region graduating golfers Emma Haereiti and Peyton Kwasna each received a $1,500 Northern Region Girls Scholarship to help further their educations.
The awards were meaningful to both, and will ease the financial challenges of higher education. Kwasna will attend the University of Nevada, while Haereiti is headed to the University of San Diego.
Receiving the awards also helped instill confidence in the young scholars.
“The first thing that comes to mind about earning this scholarship is how proud I am of myself,” said Kwasna, who played golf at Reed High School. “This is the first scholarship I have earned outside of school and university granted scholarships. It makes me excited to start this new chapter of my life with a little less financial burden. This is a wonderful opportunity, and I am very grateful for all that this sport has offered me throughout the years.”
For Haereiti, she will use the foundation built by playing golf to build her future. The game taught her mental toughness and more.
“When I received the email congratulating me on the scholarship award, my mind first went to thinking about and thanking my golf coaches, Fred Elliot and William Dodge,” said Haereiti, a McQueen High School graduate and athlete. “I could not have reached the mental determination and swing confidence without their help. Furthermore, I couldn’t help but think about my parents and how the scholarship funds will help pay for my education.”
Both now look ahead to their college careers.
“To me, what makes attending UNR so special is that I get to stay close to home, while also branching out and exploring things I have never experienced before,” said Kwasna, who will major in Environmental Science and Conservation. “I have always assumed I would go to UNR because it was the easy choice, but as I went through high school and decided who I wanted to try to be, I realized that UNR isn’t the easy choice: it’s the right choice. I am planning on joining a golf club at school so I can continue to grow my skills and practice with good company. I would go for the school team, but my skill level isn’t there yet. Maybe one day it will be.”
For Haereiti, a major in Finance with minors in Computer Science and French are ahead. Golf will also be part of her Univ. of San Diego journey.
“I was drawn to the University of San Diego because of their law school and beautiful location,” Haereiti said. “When I toured the school, the professors I met made an effort to learn my name and what I am interested in studying. Overall, I think their dedication to the students and their success makes the school so special. Unfortunately the school does not have a NCAA women’s golf team, I definitely plan on competing with the club golf team.”
