On Monday February 22, senior Marissa Boyer received a letter in the mail notifying her that she had been chosen as a 2021 recipient of the Chick Evans Scholarship.

The Chick Evans Scholarships is a financial grant that is awarded to golf caddies. This scholarship covers the full housing and tuition of its recipients. It was created in 1930 by pro golfer Charles “Chick” Evans,Jr. He was best known for becoming the first golfer to win both the U.S. Open and the U.S. Amateur in the same year. His scholarship has helped over 11,050 students through college since then. 

     To be eligible for the scholarship, Boyer had to meet a few requirements. Recipients must have a strong academic record and SAT or ACT scores, they must have a strong caddie record, an outstanding character and demonstrate financial need. Boyer also underwent an interview process. 

     Boyer began caddying when she was 13, her uncle suggested it as a way to pay for soccer since her parents were unable to do so. “My original plan from caddying was to play soccer,” stated Boyer. “I paid for soccer through caddying.”

     Overtime, after Boyer became interested in the scholarship, she worked hard on keeping high grades in school and holding a good caddie track record on the court, all while staying true to her original interest- soccer.

     “I play club soccer over at Century Park,” said Boyer. She is also a part of the unified sports teams at Norwin, Bocce and Track, she is also the treasurer and vice president of Peer Mentor and Buddy Club and Spanish Club respectively. 

     There can be some pressure during the application process of scholarships but Boyer was confident in her ability to win. “I had an idea from other people that I could win based on past winners at the country club that I work at,” Boyer explained. “ They said that I had similar qualities that could make me capable of getting the award” she said. 

     As the scholarship covers full housing and tuition Boyer was grateful for being chosen. “It was a pretty big relief, a big wave of emotions,” Boyer said. “ My family was pretty excited, I was just really happy that I had won it.”

     Boyer plans on attending Penn State University in the fall, and with this scholarship she will be able to do so. “It’s really cool to see that my hard work for these five years have paid off,” said Boyer.