Kourtney Jones-Caldwell could never have imagined she would be a Jennie Finch Empowerment Award winner.
She recently received the honor at the Jennie Finch Classic during All-Star Week in Atlanta.
“I was not expecting this, but I’m happy, I’m excited, I’m very grateful,” Jones-Caldwell said.
As a JFEA recipient, she received a $10,000 scholarship and will be honored during a pregame ceremony at the World Series along with other youth award winners from the 2025 season.
Jones-Caldwell said this incentive will help her cover out-of-state fees and school supplies, as she wants to attend Florida A&M University to major in social work while playing softball.
In its seventh year, the Jennie Finch Empowerment Award presented by Arm & Hammer presents four scholarships to deserving softball players at all Major League Baseball Develops events every year, including the Breakthrough Series and the Jennie Finch Classic during All-Star Week, the Elite Development Invitational and the Nike RBI World Series.
“This is definitely a dream and such an honor to be here,” Finch said.
The values represented by the award and its six guiding principles -- leadership, motivation, commitment, dedication, humility and integrity -- made Jones-Caldwell the ideal player.
A catcher at the Astros' Youth Academy and a native of Missouri City, Texas, Jones-Caldwell credits her mother for her skills beyond the field.
“My mom, she is a very strong woman,” she said. “She’s definitely an inspiration.”
The coaching staff has played a vital role in her development as a player.
“I wouldn’t be out here without them, and I wouldn’t be getting this award without them,” Jones-Caldwell said. “They’ve helped a lot with batting, with slapping, because I’m naturally right-handed, but I switched it. So they’ve helped a lot with keeping my hands in and not pulling up too early and focusing when I’m up to bat and not thinking too hard.”
Jones-Caldwell is a member of Bethel’s Family Christian Academy organization -- a school connected with the church she attends.
In the fall, she helps at their free Halloween festival where kids dress up in costumes, trick or treat and play games, among other activities.
Jones-Caldwell, a student at Hightower High School, also participates in a kickball league named Kickball University, where her mother plays during the season, and helps feed the homeless under the bridge around the holidays near Daikin Park.
Her uplifting personality and positivity bring out the best of her team, according to her teammates.
“She inspired me to not give up, the score could be 0-0 or we could be losing 9-1 -- she still is going to have that mentality on me, and I am going to feed off of it,” teammate Rose Campos said. “I’m not going to give up as long as she doesn’t give up.”
Aubrey Ramirez, another teammate, said she looks up at Jones-Caldwell because of her commitment to the game.
“She’s very outgoing, always making sure everyone is engaged and everyone is uplifted,” Ramirez said. “I aspire to be like her, to be that motivational and be that uplifting. I look up to her for that.”