Today, the impact outlined in our report is very different.  The Trust has grown in so many ways over the past 23 years, delivering for our scholars on multiple fronts.    

We have 222 Scholars across the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s footprint.  This includes 152 traditional caddies and 70 Service-to-Golf members.  Included in these figures are 31 female scholars, our highest number.  It also includes 12 Platt-Evans Scholars, a group where we partner with the Evans Scholars to provide full scholarships to Penn State University.  

In total, this group was awarded $1,430,000 of support in 2025.  The average caddie scholar received ~$8,000 while the average STG participant received ~$4,000.  In addition, most scholars have earned a $500 stipend to apply towards books and other college expenses.  Importantly, this is where the Platt experience starts!!    

What has impressed me over my tenure on the board since 2016 is our growth beyond our financial support.  

Most notable is our Empower program – a series of events to educate our scholars, to connect them with one another and to build a community.  We have leveraged our network to deliver an active mentoring program, to offer summer internship opportunities and to identify full-time positions to launch careers at regional employers.  

Importantly, growth at the Trust has also occurred with respect to our professional staff.  Under Mark Peterson’s leadership, we have grown from one full-time employee in 2002 to five world-class professionals.  Each member of the team is fully committed to the Trust, to our scholars and to the various stakeholders invested in our mission. 

In the end, I represent an amazing Board of Trustees who dedicate their time, talent and treasure to this important effort.  We are excited about what the future looks like as we identify ways to enhance the scholar experience.     

We appreciate our donors who invest in this mission.  We hope the following pages illustrate the impact we have had with young people at your club, at your course, across your local community.  We appreciate your ongoing support as we continue to deliver for this remarkable collection of young people.  

Golf is the game. College and career success is the goal. 

With gratitude,

Jeffrey Mitzak