GLENVIEW, IL – Bridget Danaher, a graduate from the University of Illinois Chicago, was named the Evans Scholars Program’s most outstanding student at the annual Evans Scholars Summer Leadership Summit on Saturday, July 18, in Chicago, Illinois.
Danaher was one of two students honored as the 2026 Evans Scholar of the Year, the most prestigious title a student can earn within the Evans Scholars Program; Saul Galvan, a graduate from the University of Oregon, was also recognized for his leadership and academic excellence.
Danaher is from Burbank, Illinois, and caddied at The Beverly Country Club in Chicago. She graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago with a degree in computer science and a 3.9 GPA, earning Dean’s List honors all eight semesters. Danaher served as a three-term vice president of New Scholars of the UIC Evans Scholars chapter and worked for two years as a data structures teaching assistant. Danaher will begin her career at United Airlines as part of its Early Career Digital Leadership Program.
She says, “It is an incredible honor to be named Evans Scholar of the Year. Serving as vice president of New Scholars for three terms was an incredible passion of mine – I had the blessing of mentoring almost the entire chapter by the time I graduated, and I have my fellow UIC Scholars to thank for their trust in me. The Evans Scholarship has made the dreams of so many deserving Scholars possible.”
“We’re incredibly proud of how Bridget and Saul have represented the Evans Scholars Program,” said WGA President and CEO John Kazckowski. “They displayed impressive academics and outstanding leadership within their Scholarship chapters and communities, and we look forward to supporting them in their future endeavors.”
Evans Scholars are caddies who have earned a full, four-year tuition and housing grant based on their strong caddie record, excellent academics, financial need and outstanding character. The Evans Scholars Program has been run by the Western Golf Association since its founding in 1930. In the 2025-26 academic year, a record 1,260 caddies were enrolled at 27 partner universities nationwide as Evans Scholars, and more than 12,870 caddies have graduated since the program began.
For more information, visit wgaesf.org.
