First TDPS Board of Visitors Student Awards Announced

We are thrilled to announce the recipients of the first TDPS Board of Visitors Student Awards: third-year Dance major Gabriela Grant, third-year Theatre major Sophia Mattison and third-year Theatre major Jasmine Mitchell.

We are thrilled to announce the recipients of the first TDPS Board of Visitors Student Awards: third-year Dance major Gabriela Grant, third-year Theatre major Sophia Mattison and third-year Theatre major Jasmine Mitchell.

The Board of Visitors Student Award was established by the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies Board of Visitors in 2018. Sophomores and juniors with good academic standing are eligible to apply for the merit-based award to fund projects supporting career training and choices in the performing arts or entertainment industries. These projects may include performance, design, choreography or research; study abroad programs; and unpaid internships.

Gabriela Grant ’20 plans to examine the commercial dance industry at a training program called Hollywood Biz in Los Angeles, CA this summer. At the end of the project, she will present the differences between commercial dance and performing arts industries, as she tries to understand where she fits in as a professional dance artist.

Sophia Mattison ’20 will intern at various children’s theaters in Maryland and DC to learn more about non-profit and for-profit theater organizations. She will study both the administrative and creative sides of running a theater for young audiences (TYA).

Jasmine Mitchell ’20 will travel to Chicago this summer to intern at Lookingglass Theatre with their high school summer devising program, “Lookingglass Lab.” She will work with students as a director, dramaturg and stage manager to help them create an ensemble and write a play about identity.

The awards were presented at a reception following the opening night of UMoves: Undergraduate Dance Concert on Friday, May 10. Jasmine Mitchell spoke about the vast opportunities she has had at TDPS and the family she has formed at UMD. Chair of the Board of the Visitors John C. Ford presented the award to this year's recipients.