Program begins with six high school students from the East
Glenview, Ill. – The Western Golf Association’s (WGA) Caddie Academy will launch a chapter in the Washington, D.C. area, with six male high school students from the East selected to take part in the unique summer work program that begins on June 18.
Caddie Academy provides work opportunities to promising high school students from underserved communities who ultimately hope to pursue the Evans Scholarship – a full tuition and housing grant to college.
Selected participants will work daily at Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland – while living together for six weeks at Howard University in Washington, D.C., an Evans Scholars partner university. During the summer, they also have a chance to attend social and leadership events, health and wellness activities and college prep opportunities.
Participants of the Caddie Academy are selected during their freshman year of high school, based on outstanding academics, leadership and character. After successfully completing three summers on the golf course, they will become eligible to apply for the Evans Scholarship their senior year.
“We are excited to launch our newest Caddie Academy chapter in the Washington, D.C. area, as we continue our Program growth in the East,” says Kara Chin, senior director of Caddie Academy and Scholarships at the WGA. “This special summer program allows participants to earn money, meet role models, explore career paths and learn important life lessons.”
Howard University is the newest partner university of the Evans Scholars Program; this fall, a record class of eight students from across the country will attend the school as Evans Scholars.
As the Evans Scholars Program continues to grow nationwide, more students from newer areas in the East, including from Washington, D.C., are being introduced to the opportunity to caddie and potentially earn a full college scholarship.
This year’s participants from the new Caddie Academy chapter in the D.C. area will come from local communities, as well as from South Carolina. Current Evans Scholars and Caddie Academy graduates will serve as counselors for the new students.
In 2024, the Caddie Academy has grown to include more than 150 participants across five regions nationwide. In addition to D.C., there are chapters in Chicago, Illinois, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Columbus, Ohio; and Seattle, Washington.
More than 175 graduates of the Caddie Academy have gone to earn the Evans Scholarship. For more information on the WGA Caddie Academy, please visit wgacaddieacademy.org.