WGA Donors Report, 2018

NATHAN didnt know much about the Evans Scholarship when he first started caddying at age 12 What mattered back then was beating out his best friend for Rookie Caddie of the Year Ive just always been super focused on doing my best he says He won the title As a senior majoring in biopsychology cognition and neuroscience at the University of Michigan Nathan is now focused on getting into medical school and pursuing oncology as his specialty Cancer has claimed three of his grandparents as well as his best friends mom with whom Nathan was especially close Although the memories evoke many tears he says they serve as my inspiration to do all of the things necessary to get me in a position to help Getting there has not been easy During the recession of 2008 Nathans parents lost their investments which were supposed to fund his college education At the time it was difficult to pay essential bills for the Grahams and for many other families across the country The Evans Scholarship helped Nathan attend a top university and gave him hope for a great future As he prepares for medical school hes also working as a research assistant in a trauma surgery lab and as an in home care provider for a severely disabled 17 year old boy Nathan who served as executive vice president of his chapter at Michigan says that living in community with other Scholars has been a life changing experience for him The bonds forged will last forever he says I am a better person for living and learning together with others Why is community living such an important part of the Evans Scholars experience Because it trains young people to see beyond themselves To be successful in life you have to know how to negotiate around differences find the common ground and advocate for the things you believe in most Community living teaches leadership from the ground up Its invaluable How is the Foundation helping make community living available to all Scholars We have 14 Scholarship Houses and our goal is to have every Scholar benefit from community living We still have a couple of chapters that dont have houses yet but this is set to change Theres so much learning that takes place beyond the classroom that defines the true measure of a person How does being in a Scholarship House differ from other living situations at a university The difference is that our Scholars start out with something they all have in common caddying This builds trust loyalty and collective pride Evans Scholars are also very serious about governance and accountability At the end of the day they know how to get things done What did you take away from your experience living at the Evans Scholarship House at Wisconsin I learned how to get along with others how to be a leader how to find my voice In short I learned how to be a man Evans Alum John Ver Bockel graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1980 He is a private wealth advisor at Merrill Lynch and serves as chair of the Evans Scholars Foundations endowment and fundraising committee Q A Providing Community Living Opportunities for all Scholars The Value of Living in Community with WGA Director John Ver Bockel 9 G A M E C H A N G E R