Embracing the Marquette Spirit: Scott Evertz, Arts '84

When Scott Evertz’s parents dropped him off at McCormick Hall in 1980, they watched a confident young man make his way up the path to his freshman dorm … and the rest of his life.

From the moment he breathed in the unique smells of Milwaukee, from Red Star Yeast to Ambrosia Chocolate, and began establishing lifelong connections with his Marquette dorm mates, Scott knew he had come to the right place.

Marquette provided Scott with the formative education and experiences that enabled him to find his calling: the spirit of social justice, education that was “second to none,” liberal arts training that developed his questioning mind, love for lifelong learning, and cura personalis.

Scott credits his career and success to Marquette. His independent consulting practice advises pharmaceutical, biotech, and nonprofit clients on communication and governmental strategies related to healthcare policy. Scott served as director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy in the George W. Bush administration. He was responsible for federal domestic and international AIDS policy, including the launch of two signature programs: the Global Fund and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which he continued to work on after joining HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson as special assistant for global AIDS initiatives.

While his career has taken him around the world, Scott is grounded in his love for Marquette. He’s grateful that while the buildings are new, it’s still the same urban campus and the students are the same—smart, eager to engage, involved in service, and ready to make a difference in the world, just as he was.

When he talks about giving back to Marquette, Scott is enthusiastic. “Mechanically it’s easy to make a planned gift and create a legacy so that the core of who you are will live on here.” His own planned gift of a life insurance policy that names Marquette as a beneficiary and will create a scholarship in his name for student-athletes studying in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences. Why for athletes? Scott has always been a marathon runner and loves that he can find God in the world around him and in his thoughts while running. Why arts and sciences? “The liberal arts inform how you lead your life.”

Scott’s advice to students is to welcome the adventure, talk to everyone, engage in the urban experience, soak up the vibrancy of the city. Above all, embrace the Marquette spirit that he first encountered 25 years ago—and that he still feels today.