Two Local Students Awarded Westchester Evans Scholarship for Caddies

Two local students have been awarded the Westchester Evans Scholarship, a prestigious full housing and tuition college grant offered to golf caddies, following a final selection interview held Feb. 7.

The result of a partnership between the Western Golf Association’s Evans Scholars Foundation and the Westchester Golf Association Caddie Scholarship Fund, Westchester Evans Scholars are chosen based on a strong caddie record, excellent academics, financial need and outstanding character. Candidates must meet the qualifications of both organizations to earn the scholarship. The Evans Scholarship is valued at more than $125,000 over four years.

Michael Arteaga of New Rochelle, is a senior at New Rochelle High School and caddied at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck. His parents, who immigrated from Mexico, instilled the importance of education in him at a young age. In the fall, he will begin college as a Westchester Evans Scholar at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, where he plans to study finance.

“During one of my first rounds at Winged Foot, I caddied for a bank executive who inspired me to study the stock market and the economy,” he said. “He also told me about his humble beginnings and that I could get everything I wanted in life if I put my mind to it and worked hard.”

Damian Capistran of New Rochelle, is also a senior at New Rochelle High School and caddied at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck. In the fall, he will begin college as a Westchester Evans Scholar at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he plans to study mechanical engineering.

 “The same determination I used to succeed as a caddie will help me become a successful mechanical engineer,” he says.

Evans Scholars selection meeting interviews will continue nationwide through the spring. When the 2022-23 selection meeting process is complete, an estimated 325 caddies are expected to be awarded the Evans Scholarship.

“We are excited to partner with the Evans Scholarship Fund to broaden the scholarship opportunities for our local caddies,” says John Connor, president of the Westchester Golf Association Caddie Scholarship Fund. “This is an incredible achievement for the recipients whose lives will be transformed by this amazing program.”

“Each student has demonstrated excellence in the classroom, on the golf course and in their communities,” said WGA Chairman Joe Desch. “We are thrilled for them to join an exceptional class of newly awarded Evans Scholars from across the nation.” 

To learn more about the WGA and ESF, visit wgaesf.org. 

To learn more about the Westchester Golf Association Caddie Scholarship Fund, visit caddiescholarship.org.