Beyond the Fairway: Two Marquette High Students Awarded Prestigious Evans Scholarship

Aldo Villanueva and Ezra Olson, two student caddies from Marquette University High School, have been awarded the prestigious Western Golf Association Chick Evans Scholarship, providing them with full tuition and housing. This life-changing opportunity is estimated at over $125,000 over four years.

Ezra and Aldo, both 18, caddies at Blue Mound Golf & Country Club, earned the scholarship by meeting its four selection criteria: a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need, and outstanding character.

For Aldo, the journey began with curiosity and determination.

“I didn’t know anything about caddying; my parents didn’t know anything about golf or caddying. I started caddying at 13,” said Aldo.

The oldest of three and the son of Mexican immigrants, this fall Aldo plans to study civil engineering at Marquette University while living in the Evans Scholars House on campus.

“My biggest influence was Michael Rice at Bluemound Country Club,” Aldo said. “He’s one of those great golfers who helps the new caddies get comfortable. I even got to caddie for him for a club championship final, and we won, so that was very impactful.”

Aldo credits Marquette University High School for his academic success.

“Marquette has a very rigorous academic program. It has a lot of AP classes, and it taught me to be on task, very organized, and it prepared me for the Evans,” he said.

Ezra’s path has been shaped by a strong support system and a deep sense of gratitude. Born in Stevens Point, moved to Minnesota and back to Wisconsin, he is the oldest of five, including two adoptive siblings. He says his family has been his foundation.

“My parents have been my biggest support system through both hard times and good times,” Ezra said. “And Robert Feerick has been an incredible mentor; he really opened up my whole college experience.”

This fall, Ezra will attend the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, majoring in Electrical Engineering.

More than 12,575 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars since the Program was founded by famed Chicago amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. in 1930.

Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. was a legendary American amateur golfer and philanthropist. In 1916, he became the first golfer ever to win both the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur in the same year. Instead of keeping money from his success, Evans used his golf fame to raise funds for education. He partnered with the Western Golf Association to create what is now known as the Chick Evans Scholarship.

Funds for the Evans Scholarship come mostly from contributions by more than 43,500 supporters across the country who are members of the Evans Scholars Par Club. 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.

For both Aldo and Ezra, the scholarship is not just a reward; it comes with responsibility.

“This scholarship helps me not to have a student loan, and through this, I hope to use my money to invest in other organizations,” Aldo said. “I hope to continue being a part of the youth group at St Rita’s in Milwaukee.

Ezra has a similar vision.

“My biggest goal is to build the kind of skills that will allow me to give back to the community,” Ezra said. “In America, so many people have lost their jobs, and there’s a lot of poverty. I just developed a keen sense of wanting to give back to that community and wanting to leave a mark and be the best I can to improve people’s lives who are struggling because my family struggled financially in the past. I’d love to give back to the Evans scholarship, too. It kind of set me up for success, for which I’m very grateful.”