Lake County student caddies among Evans Scholarship recipients

GLENVIEW – Seventy-four students from the Chicago area have been awarded the Evans Scholarship – a full housing and tuition college grant offered to golf caddies – after four selection meeting interviews in November and December at Midlothian Country Club and Oak Park Country Club. They are the first recipients awarded from the selection interviews.

Each caddie had a unique story that reflects the scholarship’s four selection criteria: a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need and outstanding character.

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Trayvonn Foster (Beach Park; Zion-Benton Township High School) (Charles Cherney)

Among the recipients are the following students from Lake County:

• Trayvonn Foster (Beach Park; Zion-Benton High School)

• Caleb Ramirez (Cary; Cary-Grove High School)

• Hailey Baffico (Libertyville; Libertyville High School)

• Izrael Lopez (Libertyville; Libertyville High School)

• Oscar Aponte (Park City; Warren High School)

• Ingrid Quinteros (Vernon Hills; Stevenson High School)

• Alexandra Manrriquez (Waukegan; Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep)

• Mya Weatherspoon (Waukegan; Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep)

The recipients will begin college in the fall as Evans Scholars. Awarded universities will be finalized by March 15.

The Evans Scholarship is valued at more than $125,000 over four years.

“We are thrilled to welcome these student caddies to what will be an exceptional class of new Scholars from across the nation,” Western Golf Association Chairman Joe Desch said in a news release. “Their dedication in the classroom, on the golf course and in their communities represents what our program has been about since 1930.”

Evans Scholars selection meeting interviews will continue nationwide through the spring. When the 2023-24 selection meeting process is complete, an estimated 340 caddies are expected to be awarded the Evans Scholarship.

Some of the newly awarded Evans Scholars participated in the WGA Caddie Academy, a special summer program that provides caddie opportunities to promising high school students. With six chapters nationwide, including the Chicago area, the program offers students a chance to caddie each day, earn money, meet role models and learn valuable life lessons on the golf course. After completing three summers, participants are eligible to apply for the Evans Scholarship.

The WGA, headquartered in Glenview, has supported the Chick Evans Scholarship Program through the Evans Scholars Foundation since 1930. Known as one of golf’s favorite charities, it is the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies.

Currently, a record 1,130 caddies are enrolled at 24 universities across the nation as Evans Scholars.

More than 12,040 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr.

Scholarship funds come mostly from contributions by more than 36,000 supporters across the country who are members of the Evans Scholars Par Club program. Evans Scholars Alumni donate more than $15 million annually and all proceeds from the BMW Championship, the penultimate PGA Tour playoff event in the PGA Tour’s FedExCup competition, are donated to the Evans Scholars Foundation. This year, the BMW Championship will be Aug. 20-25 at Castle Pines Golf Club in Colorado.

To learn more about the WGA and ESF, visit wgaesf.org.