Four Las Vegas students earn full scholarships to college for caddying

New Evans Scholars will begin school this fall

GLENVIEW, Ill. – Four students from Las Vegas have been awarded the Evans Scholarship — a full housing and tuition college grant offered to golf caddies — following a selection meeting interview held Feb. 11 at Faith Lutheran High School in Las Vegas.

They will begin college this fall as Evans Scholars, attending one of the Program’s 24 partner universities nationwide. Their awarded schools will be announced this spring. The Evans Scholarship is valued at more than $125,000 over four years. The winners can be found below.

To qualify, students must meet the Program’s four selection criteria and show a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need and outstanding character.

The Western Golf Association (WGA), headquartered in Glenview, Ill., oversees the Evans Scholars Program. Recently recognized as the Scholarship Provider of the Year by the National Scholarship Providers Association, the Evans Scholars Foundation (ESF) is one of golf’s favorite charities and the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies.

“Since our founding, our Program has changed the lives of young caddies who have proven their dedication in the classroom, on the golf course and in their communities,” said WGA Chairman Steve Colnitis. “We are proud to welcome this exceptional group to the Evans Scholars family.”

Currently, a record 1,190 caddies are enrolled at 24 universities across the country as Evans Scholars. More than 12,285 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the Program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. in 1930.

Mailie-Aarya Voraphankit, a senior at Faith Lutheran High School, is a first-generation college student who plans to study computer science.

“Caddying has shaped my work ethic, endurance and leadership skills,” she says. “As a mentor to the younger caddies, balancing discipline and compassion has made me a better leader in all areas of my life. All the lessons I’ve learned on the course will help me in college as I work towards my goal of becoming a software developer.”

All four newly awarded Evans Scholars were introduced to caddying through the Caddie Academy – a special summer program run by the WGA that provides work opportunities to promising high school students. With seven branches nationwide, the Caddie Academy offers students a chance to caddie each day, earn money, meet role models and learn valuable life lessons on the golf course.

After three summers, participants become eligible to apply for the Evans Scholarship. The Las Vegas students attended the Caddie Academy’s Chicago branch, working at clubs along the North Shore. Since 2012, more than 150 graduates of the WGA Caddie Academy have been awarded an Evans Scholarship.

Evans Scholar selection meeting interviews will continue nationwide through the winter. When the 2024-25 selection meeting process is complete, an estimated 360 caddies from across the country are expected to be awarded the Evans Scholarship.

Evans Scholars have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 and a 98 percent graduation rate. An estimated 40 percent are first-generation college students, and 95 percent are employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduating.

Funds for the Evans Scholarship 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, benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation. In 2025, the BMW Championship will be held at Caves Valley Golf Club near Baltimore, Md., from Aug. 12-17.