For UNC sophomore Armando Arteaga and a generous UNC grad, 剧院 brings humanity 生活.
Armando Arteaga, a sophomore 剧院 教育 major from Aurora, Colorado, came to UNC because it was the alma mater of the high school teachers who inspired him – and he wants to inspire the next generation. “I want to be considered an amazing educator who inspires students to be the best they can,” he says.
Arteaga recently received a merit-based scholarship that focuses on encouraging diversity and inclusivity in 剧院 and inspiring students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in community 剧院 and 剧院 教育.
“I’m interested in teaching 剧院 for high schoolers here in Colorado,” Arteaga says. “I want to direct shows and teach them different forms of 剧院 that can help them understand and broaden their outlook on what 剧院 is,” he says. “最重要的是 I want them to learn though, is the humanity and empathy behind 剧院 itself.”
就是这种情绪 — the humanity and empathy of 剧院 and its ability to deepen understanding — that, in part, inspired the scholarship Arteaga received.
The scholarship’s donor, a UNC alumnus who wishes to remain anonymous, also found a love of 剧院 in high school, perusing the shelves at Barnes & 高贵的建筑 a collection of the works of Pulitzer-winning playwright August Wilson.
He also points to Lorraine Hansberry (who wrote 太阳下的葡萄干), Pulitzer winner Lynn Nottage and other African American playwrights who have shaped change through their work on stage.
“They’re going to have experiences that are unlike anything I could have experienced,” 这位2010届毕业生说. “They present that through fiction, and then you continue to learn beyond what was presented on the stage when you learn about these individuals.”
This spring, as he and his wife watched racial injustice lead to anti-racism protests around the world, both felt compelled to act. With his love for 剧院, and his belief in the difference the arts can make in the world, he began to think about how to help. He decided to provide scholarship support for underrepresented UNC students who are interested in teaching 剧院 or working in community 剧院.
“The more diverse our educators are, the more world views we can have,” he says. “I’m grateful for the educators I had at UNC — they were teachers and they were mentors. My 教育 at a liberal arts school built the foundation of realizing that 剧院 can make a change, and it built a foundation of the type of person I want to try and be. I want this cultural movement to not just be another fleeting moment. This should be a wake-up call.”
Establishing this scholarship is his way, as he says, of doing what he can do, when 他能做到.
“It’s a small way to help these students on their journey. 如果我们想想 giving that little bit of help so that down the road, when it comes time to pay back student loans, then there’s less tacked on. And there’s also the excitement of receiving that scholarship on merit. These are students who have worked hard to get to where 是的，”他说. “It comes back to giving what you can, when you can. 如果这是 time — if that’s being an audience member at a high school production — 这是一个很好的开始.”
For Arteaga, the scholarship helps him pursue the work he’s been dreaming of since his own teachers supported and encouraged him.
“I felt relieved and excited when I got the scholarship. It took a weight off me when figuring out how to pay for school, and I am really excited I can continue to pursue something that I care deeply about,” Arteaga says.
