“It all hit me at once,” Donnelly said of the Dec. 13, 2022 moment when he found out he is a Chick Evans scholar. “A mailed letter lets you know yes or no, and I saw a flag on the letter, which meant that yes, I really did get it. My sister recorded my reaction and my mom was crying, it was a sweet moment.”
Having a Chick Evans scholar from EPCHS has become the norm. Recent Chick Evans winners from EPCHS include Danny McQuillan (2021-2022) and Nellie O’Grady (2020-2021). Both McQuillan and O’Grady are currently enrolled at Indiana University, where Donnelly hopes to join them next year.
Chick Evans applicants list their top six colleges and universities, in order of preference, but the ultimate decision on where they end up rests with the scholarship committee. Donnelly listed Indiana first, followed by Marquette University, the University of Illinois, Purdue University, Kansas University and the University of Illinois-Chicago.
Indiana is his preference in large part due to their business administration program, he said.
Donnelly is one of EPCHS’ most well-rounded students. He’s one of two student ambassadors to the Evergreen Park Community High School District 231 Board of Education and has competed on the school’s swim, track, golf, cross-country, and baseball teams over the years.
This past fall was one of the rare seasons in which Donnelly did not compete in athletics, focusing his extra time and efforts on caddying at the Ridge Country Club in West Beverly. He did so with the intent of earning Ridge’s Caddy of the Year distinction, an award he won.
“I’ve been caddying since 7th grade,” Donnelly said. “(The Chick Evans award) is something I’ve wanted ever since.”