Founded in 1930, the Evans Scholars Foundation currently supports scholars at over two dozen American colleges and universities, and for the first time, the scholarship has a cohort in the southeast.
On Oct. 24, representatives from the University of South Carolina and the Evans Scholars Foundation officially dedicated and cut the ribbon on the McCausland Scholarship House for Evans Scholars, celebrating the historic partnership to bring the nearly century-old program to the Palmetto State with an inaugural class of 10 USC students.
The Evans Scholarship is a full tuition and housing scholarship for high-achieving golf caddies who demonstrate financial need, excellent academics, outstanding character and an outstanding caddie record. Students can apply during their senior year of high school or first year of college. At the ribbon cutting, USC President Michael Amiridis reminded the scholars of the strong circumstances before them as well as what this collaboration means going forward.
“This is also a great opportunity for our university. We’re fortunate to have this partnership with a strong, well-established, nationally respected program that aligns well with our reputation for an excellent student experience and strong student success,” Amiridis says. “The Evans Scholars Program delivers impressive statistics — a 98% graduation rate and approximately 40% of Evans Scholars are first-generation college students, which also fits well with the commitment of USC and to have a strong network of resources to support first-generation students.”
“It’s fantastic! I love this program, and I love this school,” says first-year student Michelle Sapeta, who caddied at Oak Park Country Club in Illinois. “The Evans Scholarship is a really big deal in my area, since it started here, and this will really help the financial burden of school for me as a first-generation student.”
Amiridis and Vice President J. Rex Tolliver learned about the scholarship from a previous school, and crucial support came from Peter and Bonnie McCausland, who put part of their gracious gift to the university towards providing the scholarship cohort an outstanding place to live on campus. With their help, the ten scholars were able to move into their new scholarship house, which is part of the newly-renovated Thornwell Residence Hall, earlier this fall.
“Today we celebrate more than a new building. We celebrate an opportunity. We celebrate perseverance, and we celebrate a new living and learning community,” says Tolliver. “While we may not be the first school to house an Evans Scholar, we are the very first university in the Evans Scholar family to proudly boast that we have the number one first-year experience of any public university in the country.”
That community living and the ability for the scholars to learn and grow together is crucial to the foundation’s approach. The first class of Gamecock Evans Scholars is made up of students from seven states, including three from right here in South Carolina. Two are sophomores while the rest of the group is made up of first-year students, and together they represent eight different majors.
“Caddying has allowed me to meet amazing people, travel and, most importantly, get an education,” says Donald “DJ” Bookard, a sophomore scholar who caddied at Old Barnwell Golf Club near Aiken. “Being a part of the inaugural class here is something special and means that we can create our own legacy.
The expansion to South Carolina is just the latest in strong growth for the Evans Scholars Foundation over the past fifteen years. During the 2011-12 year, the program had 825 students nationwide and none on the East Coast. USC represents the second SEC school to open a scholarship house and the fourth in an east coast state.
From here, both the scholarship program and the ten inaugural scholars are just starting to realize their potential. After graduation, Bookard says he wants to head off to dental school, while Sapeta is studying to be a nurse.