CANYON, Texas — A West Texas A&M University student will learn about theater at one of the most prestigious arts festivals in the world, thanks to a nationally competitive scholarship.
Leigh Womack, a senior theater major from Hereford, won a $3,500 Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State.
The Gilman Scholarship enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to national security and economic prosperity, according to the State Department.
Womack is one of 13 WT students and faculty members from WT’s Department of Art, Theatre and Dance in the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities who’ll attend and perform at the acclaimed Edinburgh International Festival in August.
The Edinburgh International Festival, founded in 1947, is a celebration of the performing arts that presents some of the finest performers and ensembles from the worlds of dance, opera, music and theater in August.
The trip is made possible through a collaboration with the International Collegiate Theatre Festival, a Virginia group that helps high schools and universities bring their work to the festival.
“I went to the Study Abroad office almost immediately after we were told about the trip,” Womack said. “As a Pell Grant recipient, they told me that the Gilman Scholarship might be available to help me pay my way.”
Students most commonly ask WT’s Study Abroad office how they can afford to travel for school, said Carolina Galloway, WT’s director of Study Abroad and Nationally Competitive Scholarships.
“It’s understandable to ask this because traveling can be quite costly,” Galloway said. “When Leigh came to visit us, we helped them find scholarships that cover study abroad expenses, and the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship is one of the best opportunities available for our students.
“By being selected for this award, Leigh is now ready to embark on a life-changing journey,” Galloway continued. “They will participate in a Study Abroad program like no other while making lifelong connections, and upon return, they will be able to use their experience to promote Study Abroad and Gilman among other theatre students.”
This will be Womack’s first trip abroad.
“My sister studied abroad her sophomore year of college and really enjoyed it, so I knew I wanted to do it myself, but I didn’t know it would be possible,” Womack said. “I thought I would have to wait until after college to travel, but then this opportunity came up. This scholarship is just what I needed.”
Womack and fellow WT students will perform “Still Life: A Gallery in Motion,” a dance and theater piece the students devised themselves under the direction of Echo Sunyata Sibley, assistant professor of theatre, and Bradley Behrmann, assistant professor of musical theatre.
“Leigh is a hardworking, creative and enthusiastic student and collaborator,” Sibley said. “Their commitment and passion for this project has shined through in the support they show their mentors and their peers. We are truly proud of them, this opportunity and Leigh’s contribution to the caliber of our show.”
While in Scotland, they will perform four times in front of international audiences and see a wide range of theater, dance and performance art.
“I’m really excited to get to as many workshops as possible to learn more about theater and how it works internationally from a wide variety of people,” Womack said.
Offering intellectually challenging, critically reflective and regionally responsive academic programs, including Study Abroad, is the University’s primary mission, as laid out in the long-range plan WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.
That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021— has raised more than $125 million and will continue through 2025.
About West Texas A&M University
WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.
