St. Charles Country Club fields many scholarship winners

Consistency and dedication to nurturing aspiring college students has paid off for caddies at the St. Charles Country Club which has fielded an exceptional number of Evans Scholars during its 26 years of active participation with this foundation.

Most recently, Tyler Chiapecka, who has caddied for the St. Charles Country Club for the last six years, was named a 2009 Evans Scholar. A recent graduate of St. Charles East High School, Tyler is headed to the University of Wisconsin where he plans to major in journalism.

In 2008, two club caddies, John Kinsella and Jack McCormack, both graduates of West Chicago High School, received this award. John Kinsella is now a business major at Purdue University, while Jack McCormack attends the University of Illinois and plans to become an engineer.

Since 1984, the club and its members have been one of the most active in support of the Evans Scholarship Program through dedicated participation in caddie development, mentoring, volunteerism and generous personal giving. According to club member Richard Ryan, a former Evans Scholar and Marquette University graduate, "Receiving the Evans scholarship was a turning point in my life. It provided me with many opportunities I might not have had and enabled me to approach my life and career with the educational tools, social skills, work ethic and confidence necessary to succeed."

The Evans Scholarship program provides qualifying scholars with debt-free educations. Over the years, it has sent 8,790 caddies to college. Today, 865 Evans Scholars attend 19 colleges. o be eligible for an Evans Scholarship, a candidate must have a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need and outstanding character.

With the summer in high gear, the St. Charles Country Club and its members are looking forward to another great season and the next 26 years as active participants in and supporters of the Evans Scholars program.