Bob Verdi shares the story of Megan Mihalkanin

By Bob Verdi

GLENVIEW, IL — There’s no stopping Megan Mihalkanin now. An Evans Scholar, she recently graduated with a degree in speech and hearing sciences from the University of Illinois and, at age 22, is now pursuing her doctorate at Purdue University. Thus, there will be a day when we refer to her as Dr. Megan Mihalkanin.

To repeat, there’s no stopping her. Not that there ever was. Megan was born to two deaf parents, but any suggestion that this constituted a disadvantage in her youth is strictly non-negotiable.

“On the contrary,” said Megan. “My parents, Jason and Roberta, communicated to my brother and I with the type of love and support and guidance as any child could hope for. Discipline, too. My parents didn’t live in a hearing world, but they were quite capable of letting their kids know when they were up to no good.

“Meanwhile, I was gifted with a unique perspective in life and maybe grew up a little faster than normal, which was fine. In many ways, I became their voice. I would go with them to appointments, or just to the grocery store. When I was about 8, if I had to see a dentist or a doctor, I would make the call myself.

“My brother Tom and I were their bridge from their silence to the hearing world. We learned sign language as kids. I was fluent when I was 5. You didn’t communicate with cellphones like we do now. It was something we had to do, and we did it willingly, lovingly. It instilled in me a deep sense of empathy and understanding for those who might be different, which has led me on the path I am on now.”

Indeed, at Purdue, she is continuing her education in audiology. She would like to work in a pediatric hospital, testing children, fitting them for hearing aids, helping them pursue dreams.

Golf was not on Megan’s radar in her teens. She played volleyball at Hinsdale South High School but did note how her brother Tom raved about his summer job as a caddie at Edgewood Valley Country Club. Tom, three years older, has forged a successful career in business, thanks in no small part to his education at Purdue as an Evans Scholar.

“That caught my attention,” Megan recalled. “He might spend long hours at the club, and although he came home tired, he never complained. ‘What a great job this is’, he kept saying. Finally, when I was maybe 16, he brought me out there with him - Tommy’s little sister. I didn’t know anything about golf. I didn’t even know how to keep score. But I put in the hours, some in the bag room or waiting around for a loop. You have to show up regularly to earn your place."

“I was a little nervous, shy, but gradually got to really enjoy the environment, the outdoors and the people - some famous people, too. Denis Savard of the Blackhawks held his charity tournament there. Golf is a great sport for socializing and networking, and like Tom, long days went fast for me.”

On March 6, 2019, Megan tiptoed to the mailbox to retrieve that envelope from the Evans Scholars Foundation. Congratulations!

“There were a lot of tears,” she recalled. “My mom works in human resources at the FAA, and dad was a carpenter until he suffered injuries and back surgery. There’s no way they could have handled the financial burden of sending me to college. I worried for a while whether it was possible for siblings to be so blessed, but it happened - thankfully. We are so fortunate.”

The Evans Scholars Foundation has placed 1,130 caddies in 24 different universities this semester, just a portion of the 12,040 young men and women whose tuition and housing have been funded since the 1930 inception of the program conceived by Charles “Chick” Evans Jr., a famed amateur golfer.

“This scholarship is an incredible opportunity,” Megan said. “It is the gift of a lifetime. It changes everything.”

Before heading to Purdue, Megan spoke eloquently during July’s Promise Campaign Celebration at Chicago’s Botanic Garden.

“Caddying would become a life-changing experience,” she told a gathering at Nichols Hall. “I learned so many valuable lessons big and small. I learned ways to effectively communicate, which then carried over into other aspects of my life.

“I learned how important paying attention to details can be and how to quickly problem solve. I learned how to work with others harmoniously, which will be an essential tool for my future. Not only did caddying teach me life lessons but it also gave me memories that I will cherish forever. The skills that I acquired as a caddie and the experience I had shaped me into a more responsible, hardworking and adaptable individual.”

Megan Mihalkanin is someone you should know - and someone you will hear about again.